NOTES FROM THE AWARENESS: 1012

Do the necessary and be thankful.

Sometimes life catches us by surprise. Something unexpected and possibly unpleasant occurs.

We may feel frustrated or downhearted. Stress might even cause us to dither about the best course of action.

If we dwell on the unfortunate nature of the events, we’re likely to feel even worse. To get out of the negative, we just need to choose a path and move forward.

Finding something, anything, to be grateful for will make that path smoother and sweeter. Even if our gratitude is simply that the negativity isn’t more all-encompassing, it is the start of a different approach. As my partner Nate Hall says, “Nothing so bad it can’t get worse.”

While the difficult aspects of our situation may be unpleasant, we can still counterbalance the negative with recognition of things that are beautiful and working well. These positive aspects may be small or large but savoring them and being thankful will help them occupy more of our mental and emotional focus.

Today’s message invites me to cope practically and with a grateful heart. Focusing on what is good takes some of the sting out of what doesn’t feel good.

Please reflect and share. What recent event could have been oh so much worse for you?