Gratitude For The Present
Gratitude - noun: the quality or feeling of being thankful or grateful.
Even if we have gratitude for our life as a whole, it's unfortunate that we don't often express gratitude for the exact moment we are in. Seems we are always thinking about, or rushing into, what is next.
When our children were infants, toddlers, adolescents and beyond, how many times did we take for granted moments that we should have been grateful for? The cooing of babies, laughter of toddlers, and even the angst of adolescents; all moments we should be present and appreciate that we were there. At the time many of us were too busy working to provide for our families, and these moments were lost in the chaos.
Each day of our life there are 1,440 minutes. Even if we sleep seven hours of that day, it leaves 1,020 minutes. Out of all of these, how many are we present and grateful for?
With all the external noise and disruption, it's not possible to appreciate every moment. We also know that it's difficult to find the positive in every minute of the day. Let's face it, we all have days that would challenge even the strongest person to find gratitude. However, sometimes we need to stop and actually see what is in front of us; that particular moment may hold many reasons for us to be grateful.
If we can learn to have gratitude for the present, we may be surprised the impact it will have on the moments that follow. In the process we will also be teaching our children a valuable lesson.
Start with just one moment; be present and grateful and see where it will take you.
Even if we have gratitude for our life as a whole, it's unfortunate that we don't often express gratitude for the exact moment we are in. Seems we are always thinking about, or rushing into, what is next.
When our children were infants, toddlers, adolescents and beyond, how many times did we take for granted moments that we should have been grateful for? The cooing of babies, laughter of toddlers, and even the angst of adolescents; all moments we should be present and appreciate that we were there. At the time many of us were too busy working to provide for our families, and these moments were lost in the chaos.
Each day of our life there are 1,440 minutes. Even if we sleep seven hours of that day, it leaves 1,020 minutes. Out of all of these, how many are we present and grateful for?
With all the external noise and disruption, it's not possible to appreciate every moment. We also know that it's difficult to find the positive in every minute of the day. Let's face it, we all have days that would challenge even the strongest person to find gratitude. However, sometimes we need to stop and actually see what is in front of us; that particular moment may hold many reasons for us to be grateful.
If we can learn to have gratitude for the present, we may be surprised the impact it will have on the moments that follow. In the process we will also be teaching our children a valuable lesson.
Start with just one moment; be present and grateful and see where it will take you.
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