how do you practice gratitude in your everyday life?
i’m currently sitting at the airport, it’s 6:30am & i’ve already been up for two hours. i’m about to board yet another flight, followed by a 5 hour bus ride.
i just paid $11 for a sandwich & a juice.
the person at the cafe offered to warm up my sandwich, & put it in the panini press. they then took a few orders & less than 5 min later offered me my food. “so sorry for the wait,” they said as they handed it over.
& i’m sitting here, overwhelmed with gratitude.
let’s just take a minute to review. it’s early. i’m in an airport. i have more travel ahead of me, after being on the international road for days on end. i am paying for overpriced, mediocre food. it took about 5 min to get said foodi’m rather hungry. my flight is going to begin boarding any minute.
by most people’s accounts, i have every right to be annoyed, cranky, frustrated, even angry. i could sit here & say this sandwich sucks, this juice isn’t fresh, it’s too early for this shit, i don’t have time for other people to be waited on, etc etc etc.
the negativity could literally overwhelm me.
& instead, i thought “wow, how lovely!” when the cafe worker offered to warm up my panini. i thought “really? you’re sorry? that was rather quick!” when they apologized for the wait. i thought “what a lovely treat!” when i looked down at my steamy meal. i thought “isn’t it amazing, i was just given warm nutritious food when i don’t have access to groceries, a kitchen, or any space to prepare food in. someone else took the time to transport, prepare, warm, and hand this meal right into my hands!”
i’m grateful for this food, even if it’s overpriced & mediocre. i’m grateful for the crisp morning summer air here in new zealand that i got to walk through this morning on my way to the airport. i’m grateful for the rising sun that i get to bear witness to, the reward for being up so early. i’m grateful for the opportunity to travel, even if it involved endless hours of sitting in cramped, stuffy, crowded, sometimes smelly & hot cabins of planes, subways, & buses. i’m grateful that i’m able to work, that i was able to save up money to bring myself to the other side of the world in general.
i am so incredibly overwhelmed with gratitude right now.
& yet, this is all a choice. at this point, practicing gratitude is second nature to me, i have to literally think of alternatives in order to bring them into my consciousness. my automatic responses to situations are to feel blessed & positive. but it’s still a choice, a choice that i continue to make every moment of every day. to look on the bright side. to welcome small joys. to appreciate beauty. to take a step back & recognize all the ways in which i am so incredibly privileged.
a warm meal. handed right over to me. as i’m watching the sunrise. as i’m preparing to embark on my final two legs of this 5 day, 8,000 mile journey. what a beautiful life. what an amazing opportunity. what a pleasure it is to be alive.
yesterday on my flight i sat across the aisle from this beautiful family, 2 parents & 2 young kids (a todddler & an infant). the 7.5 hour ride was tough for them all, the kiddos crying & crawling all over the parents, the parents working tirelessly to contain & entertain them. when we finally landed we were told we would be deplaning from both the front & and the back of the aircraft. we were only a few rows from the very back of the plane, & i watched as the same wave of relief i felt came over these exhausted parents. one began chattering to the older child about how they were going to be able to see the plane from the outside, and how they would explain it to them as they walked by. oh how exciting!
a few minutes later the cabin crew announced that we would actually only be deplaning from the front, using a regular gate instead of stairs on the tarmac. the parent explained this to their toddler, who was fairly disappointed.
“but that’s alright, isn’t it? we will have other days to explore a plane!” the parent told their toddler. i couldn’t help but smile.
almost 10 minutes went by, & still no progress was being made on us getting off the plane. everyone was standing, folks in the aisle with bags already on their backs, folks standing up in their seats, having to awkwardly lean & tuck themselves under the bulkhead over them.
the kids were practically crawling out of their skin. the younger one was really beginning to get upset, clearing having reached their saturation point, probably hours ago.
“well, i know we’re tired & it’s been a bit of a wait & we’d like to get off this plane but i’ve had worse days.” the same parent said to the angsty kids.
& i just thought to myself, these are some seriously lucky children. to grow up with such a perspective. when it would be, by so many people’s standards, entirely appropriate to complain & be frustrated. to let exhaustion get the better of them & be annoyed.
to have such examples of gratitude continuously expressed before them.
i am grateful to report that there are two tiny humans growing up in a world shrouded by gratitude. they will surely spread their light across us all as they expand into this life.
so take a moment. think of how you practice gratitude in your every day life. in all moments, even those that feel uncomfortable. & if this isn’t part of your regular daily existence, try it out. explore how it makes you feel. watch as your thoughts unfold into feelings, and how these blossom into a lighter, brighter, happier experience, no matter what your circumstances.
& remember, practice makes perfect.
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