My grandparents fought through prayer and hard work and asking for help.
Can Gratitude Be a Form of Fighting?
In this time of so many people taking sides and fighting it can feel like even peace and war is in its own conflict. But not all fighting is bad. Sometimes we are fighting to be our best selves, fighting to survive, fighting to win a gold medal, using our place of privilege to fight for the oppressed. I don’t know what that line is between good and bad fighting. But I do know that we can choose to fight in a way that doesn’t bring others down.
I have been thinking about my grandparents in their retirement years. They had struggles with cancer, with alcoholism, with a highway being put in next door. All three of my grandparents had one thing in common when it came to fighting, they prayed and they worked hard. One grandpa was all about connections and he would reach out and ask for help. My other grandpa would never give up on a task at hand but he would take breaks to nap. My grandma led with softness in her demeanor, in her voice, in her prayers.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my grandparents and what they would do in different situations. They weren’t afraid to fight but they would do nothing without prayer. I don’t pray the same way that they did but my gratitude practice is my form of reverence and of connecting with spirit. Through gratitude I can discover what I most value, sometimes this leads me to fight for what is important to me. Through gratitude I can give thanks for all of my gifts, including my ability to fight for what I believe in. Through gratitude I can dream up new possibilities, new paths forward.
Maybe instead of fighting I can appreciate and love. And maybe my appreciation and love can help me to fight for what matters most.
We live in troubled times, but the challenges of life must never obscure the magnificent gifts we’ve all been given.
~Don Cillo
What are grateful to fight for?
LEARNING: So many times when I write my gratitude I am thinking of the little things that stood out in my day. But what about all those core things that are surrounding me that, that are inside me? In our gratitude practice it is nice to zoom in and zoom out and shine the light of gratitude from many different vantage points.
FORGOTTEN GRATITUDE: Last week I was also grateful for stability in my home, in my love life, in my family, in so many ways … Connecting with my prima, the only one I call my prima … Fresh air outside after a few days without it.
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[su_note note_color=”#e7e7e7″ text_color=”#686767″ radius=”0″] My gratitude journey started in May 2011 and continues to this day. Thank you for being a part of it! A daily gratitude practice is simple. Write down three things you are grateful for each day. Download your free GratitudeGuide. My clients focus on gratitude and learn from their successes to make the positive changes they want in their lives. You can too. Call me to set up our first meeting 505.333.9336. [/su_note]