Gratitude, grudgingly.
Money woes are rampant these days and everyone I know is doing circus-quality juggling of work, life, kids, family, and precious little self-care time. Overwhelm reigns.
In the midst of our collective stress, pausing mid-week for “thanks” rings false. Just ick. Like a syrupy-sweet greeting card complete with fuzzy-focused hearth fire and cornucopia nearby.
If being thankful feels forced to you right now, it’s okay. You’re not alone. In fact, you’ve got lots and lots of company.
Gratitude logjam
When you get stuck, even with something like gratitude, one of the best things you can do is start small. Like, really small.
For example, here are some of the small things I’m grateful for:
- A headset that actually works (Plantronics, if you’re wondering)
- Running water
- The big bag of string cheese in the fridge
- Gmail
- Sweatpants
- allrecipes.com
- The trash hauler who works our stretch of rural highway
I could have listed bigger things, but these are what feel true today, right now. Locating a small amount of gratitude within you is like finding a vein of gold in the earth – it runs deep. But you don’t have to *start* deep. Just start where you are.
If you say, “I’m so overwhelmed right now, I don’t feel grateful for anything. Just my lungs.” That’s okay. In fact, it’s perfect. Just start with that.
The thing about gratitude.
Most people experience gratitude as effortful – as something you “should” feel. Something you must pull out of yourself. Forcing thanks feels like cold extruded plastic instead of a comforting cotton-silk blend.
Honest, genuine gratitude nourishes your heart. It gives you energy, rather than extracting it from you.
Instead of forcing yourself to feel grateful, I invite you to consider starting where you are.
Is there a small thing you feel grateful for today (even if you think it’s something not worth mentioning)?
802 days ago,
Christine said:
Spending time with my nephew. No matter how bad my day is, his cuddles make me grateful.
.-= Christine´s last blog ..Turning Faith, Hope, and Love Into Money =-.
802 days ago,
Sarah said:
One of my Thanksgiving mantras is “I can feel grateful while feeling other things.”
Today, I’m grateful for paid sick time.
802 days ago,
Cindy said:
I am so thankful that my son was able to fly here for Thanksgiving!!! We weren’t sure til the last minute if he could come.
802 days ago,
Lancia Smith said:
I am grateful peaceful, ordinary days to work at home; a faithful and loving husband; for grace in our family relationships and for my remarkable children — each and every one; our beautiful baby granddaughter, friendships that abide over the decades; the gift of bountiful & healthy food; beauty at every turn, and for God’s amazing, persistent and unfailing love!
802 days ago,
Lori said:
I am grateful to be surrounded by wonderful and caring peers at my workplace. It is a job sharing the building with such an insiring group of people.
802 days ago,
Lori said:
And I miss them when they are not around to check my spelling!
802 days ago,
Margaret Wright said:
Although it’s decidedly a mixed blessing, I’m grateful for the internet that allows me access to this site and others that are dragging me, kicking and screaming, into organizational balance. It doesn’t come natural to me and many “experts” don’t seem to understand that. Jennifer, you give me permission to be flawed and help me balance my flaws with steps toward making it work anyway.
So . . . I give thanks for this site and all the others — between you all, I’m moving toward something that works and is helping me be a more organized — and hopefully more successful — artist.
On a more short term and personal level, I’m thankful that I can afford the plane fare for me and my husband to fly to visit my 88 year old mother for Thanksgiving and to share it with other family members. Whatever else is going on in our lives, at least once a year I know everyone will gather and we can renew connections.
802 days ago,
Chris Baltzley said:
The small things are what I try to watch out for and why I started to post this type of tweet at least several days a week:
Today’s smile – waking up to the smell of sweet potato pie; my husband doing his Thanksgiving baking (apple’s next!)
Today’s smile – driving home with my hand out the window playing airplane in the wind like when I was a kid
Today’s smile – Just found out the old man who walks with his old dog down Main Street every night is named Romeo
Knowing that I want to do this keeps me open to seeing what I might pass over otherwise.
802 days ago,
Sheila said:
I’m grateful that every so often when I check my email there will be one that carries the words “Inspired” “Home” and “Office”. It reminds me that my home office can be inspiring and is a place of inspiration for me, my writing, and my business. Thank you Jennifer, I’m grateful for you!
802 days ago,
Eren Mckay said:
I’m grateful for my family and for knowing that I can always pray to God when I need Him.
Also for knowing that He has a purpose for my life and that I can trust Him to lead me to fulfilling it everyday.
Blessings,
Eren Mckay
.-= Eren Mckay´s last blog ..Thanksgiving crafts to make and online kids activities =-.
802 days ago,
jennifer said:
Wow. I have goosebumps at the things you are all writing.
Keep it coming!
.-= jennifer´s last blog ..Gratitude, grudgingly. =-.
802 days ago,
Gina said:
I actually smile every night when I get into bed. I actually do. I love my bed. It’s the best. And it’s more than that… gratitude for having a place to sleep every night, that it’s warm, and I am happy when all my boys are home too.
And today, in particular, I’m grateful to have heard from my doctor that all my blood tests are normal and none of the things I’d swear were wrong with me are.
.-= Gina´s last blog ..Serendipity Strikes Again =-.
802 days ago,
Debbie Rodgers said:
Always, always love your posts, Jen.
The small things are the things that make up life, so it’s okay – in fact preferable – that one can find gratitude for even the small things.
I try to participate daily in Grace in Small Things http://graceinsmallthings.ning.com/ It has enriched my attitude.
P.S. Darrell Tompkins’ photo of the red leaf that you shared with us in your newsletter is (quite literally) breath-taking. Thank you again!
801 days ago,
Bridget Pilloud said:
I’m grateful for socks. And for tea. And for finding that I’m not alone in my grudging.
I heard the other day that lack is only experienced when we don’t see the whole picture. So I am grateful that I can see even a little of my picture.
And as always, grateful for Inspired Jen!
.-= Bridget Pilloud´s last blog ..A Divine Download Sneak Peak- Love =-.
801 days ago,
Lisa Wood said:
I’m grateful for my family, that we’re happy and healthy, and that we have a solid roof over our heads when we go to sleep at night.
I’m also grateful to have people like Jen in my life.
.-= Lisa Wood´s last blog ..How to Avoid Getting Your Password Hacked =-.
801 days ago,
Kim DuBois said:
Well said Jen! Sometimes we get so caught up in how we think we ‘should’ feel, and when we can’t seem to feel it, it only brings us further down. You’re absolutely right. Sometimes you just have to begin where you are, and if all you can do is take a tiny step forward, at least that is progress! I am truly grateful for my life, and that for the first time in too long I can say I am happy.
801 days ago,
jennifer said:
Wow. Just wow.
I’m noticing that reading about your gratitude makes my heart expand.
801 days ago,
Jenny Saarloos said:
jen are you freelance writing? you are gifted.
800 days ago,
Waverly Fitzgerald said:
So interesting that you would be writing about this. I’ve been feeling like a Thanksgiving scrooge this year and wrote about it on my blog. It’s not that I’m not grateful, I just don’t like being told to be grateful. I’m trying out the word “appreciate” instead. And I appreciate my car, my little yellow Ford Focus, and it’s heater!
797 days ago,
Char Brooks said:
I’m grateful for my breath, that I can move my body, that I can talk, think and am willing to change. . . and so much more.
I have no trouble finding infinite things every day to be grateful for – they’re everywhere in my life.
My dogs who make me laugh, my kids who are happy and healthy though have their own struggles which they are facing in their own way, my balance ball, the internet, dance of shiva, so many amazing people in my life
my list is positively endless – and even though all isn’t what “i want” in my world, it is all okay.
deeply okay.
795 days ago,
Lyle T. Lachmuth - The Unsticking Coach said:
Love it!
Luv your GENTLE ways of dealing,
LL
.-= Lyle T. Lachmuth – The Unsticking Coach´s last blog ..Words That Move Me! =-.