World Gratitude Day.

Today is September 21, 2023, it's World Gratitude Day.

The past month has been a rollercoaster ride for me, filled with both professional and personal challenges. As someone who often writes about overcoming obstacles and finding the light at the end of the tunnel, I have a surprise to share with you today. Yes, I am a human, just like you, and we all encounter unexpected challenges on our journey. It's part of the human experience.

One thing I've noticed is that many of us, myself included, tend to get stuck when trying to understand these challenges. It's like a car trapped in mud, with the wheels spinning and digging in deeper the harder we try to move forward or reverse. In such moments, we face two choices:

Don't force the car out of the mud: Shift into a lower gear and gently ease your way out.

Call for help: Sometimes, you need a tow to get out of a tough spot.

Interestingly, the more we struggle and try to force our way out, the more anxiety we create for ourselves. Sometimes, acknowledging that certain things are beyond our control and asking for help is the only way to move forward.

Today, my "tow truck" came in an unexpected form - a morning TV commentator mentioning that today is World Gratitude Day. It's remarkable how a single word or action can shift our focus from the challenges we can't change to all the things that are going right in our lives.

Accepting that there are things we may never fully understand can be challenging. However, once you make the intentional decision to let go, you free yourself from spinning your wheels in the mud of uncertainty.

So today, and every day moving forward, I choose gratitude. Here are just a few things I'm grateful for:

1.????? My amazing twin daughters, Amanda and Brooke.

2.????? The exceptional mother of my daughters, Stacy.

3.????? My thriving mother.

4.????? The chance to say "I love you" to my sister one last time.

5.????? My beloved home.

6.????? My two dogs, Bruno and Buster, and the cherished memories of Jackson, who was with me for 15 wonderful years.

7.????? The life lessons I've learned and openly share with you.

8.????? My health.

9.????? My two brothers, Phillip and Justin, and my nephew Rashad, thriving at Rutgers.

10.?? The twists and turns that led me to this moment.

11.?? The ocean, palm trees, and the majestic oak outside my window.

12.?? The beautiful diversity of South Florida.

13.?? My amazing grandson, Ace, born on December 2, 2022, and his wonderful father and husband, Alex.

14.?? My ex-mother-in-law, who continues to support my every move.

15.?? My small circle of friends who feel like family, no matter how often we connect.

Let's all celebrate World Gratitude Day together! This special day, observed on September 21 each year, gives us the opportunity to express our gratitude and appreciation for one another.

The idea of World Gratitude Day was born in 1965 during a Thanksgiving dinner in the meditation room of the United Nations building. Sri Chinmoy, an Indian spiritual leader and meditation teacher, proposed a day of gratitude that the entire world could celebrate. Since then, it has been observed annually worldwide.

Gratitude is the awareness and expression of the blessings in our lives, including qualities, lessons, people, achievements, possessions, support, privileges, experiences, and gifts. It's closely linked to humility, generosity, and mindfulness.

Embracing gratitude has numerous positive health benefits, such as boosting positive emotions, building healthier relationships, increasing happiness, raising self-esteem, fostering optimism, reducing materialism, alleviating depressive symptoms, improving sleep, and aiding in substance abuse recovery.

We recommend starting with the 1-Day Gratitude Challenge and progressing through the others. Watch and celebrate your journey as you complete more and more days. Have fun discovering the power of gratitude!

Thanks for reading,

William Rochelle, but you can call me Bill

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