Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Gratitude journals, and keeping lists of what we are grateful for can be a helpful exercise in boosting morale. But every time I try to think of things for which I am grateful, I fear leaving something off the list! The truth is, you cannot count your blessings, and name them one by one, because in the whole scheme of things, it’s all valuable. It’s all interconnected in such an unfathomable way that leaving out even the slightest sliver of reality implies it doesn’t matter. Are there moments that don’t matter or that shouldn’t have happened? The universe gives you the capacity to decide!
All of what has happened, all of the contents of your existence, all of the trials and suffering, and all of the joy and laughter, are ensconced in the totality of who you are – the gift of what makes you, you. Sure it’s good to be thankful for certain things and people, but eventually, your inventory will supersede your ability to count it, and you’ll realize it’s all good; it’s all valuable; and it’s all indispensable. The blessing of life itself is impossible to inventory. Moment by moment (one by one) it all matters. You cannot fragment, into a number of countable “blessings,” the greatest gift of all – YOU. All of who you are was made possible by what you’ve been through, by what you’ve encountered, by who you have loved, and by who has loved you. Take none of it for granted, for every last bit of every second you have been alive has been a blessing, even the so-called hardships or misfortune. It does all matter, even though you may not understand the suffering that exists on the planet. Nonetheless, don’t just make an inventory of blessings, just make it all count, because eventually, it does! And it’s because of the great gift of you, that it’s even possible to experience any of it! When we realize that we are gifts to the planet, we can help others see this too, and we can the world a more valuable place to live for all of humanity.