I really shouldn't be up this early, I'm screwing my sleeping patterns, but I'm feeling great. This week has been shiesty to say the least, and this summer so far, less than sub-par. Anybody else agree?
I took a moment tonight to reflect on my life, and to just take a pause to look at my life and where I am now, and how I got here. The word that rings in my ears is gratitude, I feel like I've torn strips off of gratitude 'til it's been completely ripped apart and left to die. It sounds pretty grim, but seriously, I urge everybody who comes along and reads this to take a big step back and pause. Look where you are, what you've done, who supports you, think about everything and make sure you're not taking things for granted. There are many people who are a lot less fortunate than you. Your situation with financial hardship? Yeah it's rough, but somebody's experiencing something rougher, even with finances. Your situation with a relationship? Yeah, that can be quite difficult and you'll need to give time to let your emotions settle, but somebody out there just lost their entire family and/or best friends. Your worried about appearances? Every 3 seconds somebody dies from hunger. Your nervous about transitioning to University, you're stressed over summer school, you're spending an extra year in high school. I say SO what, yes these obviously seem very important right now if you are dealing with them, but this is why I urge, I ask you to step back and pause.
Is it really that bad?
if it is, then you've got to keep fighting and you'll make it. If it's not, then you've just given yourself a lesson in gratitude.
We don't need to wait 'til October to be thankful for all that we have, especially us in Canada. We live in an amazing free country where you can do whatever you want. You can find money some way some how, you can find love some way some how, you can find help for your problems some way some how, you can afford to take the moment for clarity, the moment that could cause you to see life out of a new clearer spectrum.
I've just taken my moment, and I'm still reflecting on it. I'm asking you to consider taking one yourself, because you may be unaware of how ungrateful you currently are.
Here's a short film about gratitude, Rob Bell is an amazing communicator and this is a brand new Nooma video from his devotional series Nooma. Check it out, maybe there's something in it for you.
