Today it's extremely cold where I live. In fact, it's near record-breaking cold. I'm not crazy about this kind of weather since I feel cold most of the winter even without the temperatures dipping like this.
I'm trying hard to not complain about the cold. Well, perhaps I'm complaining a little bit. OK, yes, maybe even more than a little bit.
I'm also aware that you and I can create the conditions for happiness and well-being to exist and thrive. Happiness doesn't just settle into our souls to stay because we wish it were so. One of the foundational pieces for happiness and well-being is gratitude. I know what a difference it makes in my day when I begin it by thinking of three to five things for which I'm grateful—I start out on a positive note, and it's easier to stay with a positive focus. And when I rush into my day without doing that, my focus is different.
So today I'm thinking about the things for which I'm grateful: a home, a furnace that works, power that's still on despite the winter snow storms that have gone through the Midwest, and the warm clothes I can wear in layers to stay warm and cozy, to name a few.
Sometimes gratitude is a stretch because things aren't as we wish them do be. And cold weather (when I have a warm home) is a pretty minor annoyance on the scale of life experiences. However, if you and I can look for the blessings, we'll definitely see even more of them and experience that well-being that sometimes seems so elusive. What's on your gratitude list today?
As usual you hit the mark. One must always think of the things for which we are grateful.
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