I Gained My Gratitude

I gained my gratitude. Actually, I uncovered it. You see, the gratitude was always there, but, as time goes by, it gets covered in “stuff”. Our day to day activity of life sometimes adds layers on top of it, obscuring it from view. The last time I wrote an article on LinkedIn, I had “Lost My Job”. If you read it, it wasn’t nearly as morose as the title would have you first believe. It was me recognizing a new reality and a new job. One dedicated to discovering that next step in my employment life. An excited and scary time to be sure, but, after a couple months of hunting, I’m still keeping my chin up and forging ahead.

Why? You guessed it, gratitude! It’s a good practice to daily examine that which you are grateful for. Perhaps as you lay your head on your pillow, or perhaps as you wake. Without examining all the good things in our lives we start to lose focus on them, and what’s left in their place? Well, simply all the bad going on in our lives. We all have our struggles. Some days, weeks, years are better than others. How many are so glad to usher in a new year so we could shed the last because we lost a friend or parent or found ourselves in ill health, or whatever hits you where it hurts? What we lose sight of is all the good in between and here’s the shocker! Some of that good was only because of what we endured. Maybe we recognize it soon after, sometimes years later or sometimes never, but it’s there.

So why am I grateful now? That’s a great question. Of course it is, I asked it and know where this is going. Sure, I could focus on being currently unemployed and all that goes with that, but I get some very incredible reminders of all the good happening around me every day. Two examples.  About a month after losing my job I had an acquaintance stop me at the gym and offer some advice and potential leads. While we were talking, another friend stopped and did the same and then a third gentleman said if I needed some money I could work some hours in his shop. BLOWN AWAY! I stopped all three from talking and said simply ‘I want to thank you. I am so grateful for all of you reaching out to me and offering help”.  Pretty good, huh? Next, I was going outside and there was an unmarked envelope on the ground between the door and storm door. In it was a piece of paper with a simple heart drawn on it. Nothing else and in it was a gift from friends. Again, WOW! Now understand, there have been many many other examples I could use to illustrate this. People offering to meet with me to get my resume up to snuff and offer advice on the job search campaign, or meeting me for lunch and doing the same. Just in the last couple months, many have been so kind. Are you starting to see how I was able to clear away the stuff that covers my gratitude? 

So that’s it! I’m even more aware of how many good things are happening in my life. Do I still get down? Of course, but I have more ways to get up than ever before, because I remember all the things I am grateful for. I heard a great quote on gratitude I’ll share in closing. “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” I like that.