November Thoughts

The standard and rightful November theme is Gratitude. But let's look at the practice of Gratitude from a different perspective.

As children, we were prompted to declare what we were grateful for, and we answered with the usual family, friends, home, and pets. Sometimes, that would include some materialistic items that were important to us.

We have taught this lesson from the perspective of fruits on trees. We are thankful for the bounty. What if we taught the lesson from the ground up? The earth has provided fertile ground for the roots to secure, the trunk grew solid and straight, and the branches reached out to catch the sun for blooms and fruit.

My practice of gratitude has taken on a few iterations. First, I carried the child-like practice of recalling daily the things I was grateful for, but I soon realized that this was not enough for me to feel content with my life. As you list those things for which you are grateful, you can't help but see that there are voids and deficiencies. It is the human condition to inventory what we have and do not have.

The next level of gratitude practice came with another kind of pitfall, which was a feeling of guilt. I have had a hard time listing what I was grateful for without feeling as if I was boasting or bragging, even if only to myself. If I was grateful, did that mean I was also not humble?

Who would have thought that the practice of gratitude would be so confusing?

And so I thought about it on the most basic level. I focused on what made it possible for the experiences and tangible items to exist. By doing this, I realized that the first practice of gratitude is simply being grateful for opportunities. The opportunity to make choices every day. The opportunity to create, share and accomplish things that will make a difference. I am thankful that I wake up every day and will make the best of each day because it is a gift.

I am grateful for this life, first and foremost.

Thank you for your trust and support. With gratitude, I acknowledge and accept the opportunity to serve and support you on your daily journey.

With Gratitude,
Elease