An Attitude of Gratitude
This was written on March 9, on my flight home from Austin…
On my return flight home from Austin, Tx after a much needed 5 day reprieve from the hustle bustle that is my life, I sit here blissfully content. I am full from all of the amazing food we searched out in Dallas and Houston (time ran short in Austin), and of course from our two stops at Buc’Cees. If you haven’t heard of this place then let me just be the first to tell you that it is quite the experience. It’s like a massive truck stop but with delicious BBQ, rows upon rows of freshly baked goods, a gourmet Fudge counter and a vast assortment of their privately labeled snack foods that include endless varieties of house made beef jerky and of course the iconic snack and my personal favorite called featured Beaver Nuggets. Once you put a handful of the Sea Salt Caramel nuggets in your mouth, you will not be able to stop until the bag is at least half way gone. They are that addictive. The closest way to describe them would be a hybrid of Pirate’s Booty, Caramel Corn and Kick’s cereal. I’m not really doing it justice but there is really nothing else like it so that’s the best I can do. You really just have to go there yourself.
In addition to my food coma that has me feeling perfectly content, I also have total mental contentment and inner peace that is the result of overwhelming gratitude for the blessings in my life. I have EVERYTHING and I was reminded of this very fact while listening to a Jiu Jitsu legend, Joao Gabriel, who is also a cancer survivor talk about this very subject (I have a recording if you’re interested). I have a husband whom is also my best friend, four healthy children that I adore, a loving, supportive and helpful family and a multitude of friends that I can count on. I have all of this and if I don’t have an attitude of gratitude then the problem is me. This is not to say that I don’t occasionally get myself in a funk, but on a daily basis I try to make being grateful a standing character asset. Trust me, this is not my nature. This is something I have learned and trained myself to do. It has taken time, diligence and patience to turn my negative thinking into something positive, something that I can now count on as an asset, not a defect of character. This is a skill and a daily practice. It is the thing I am most grateful for because it has provided me with a new way of life. Many people walk around in a state of unhappiness or frustration for no justifiable reason. Life simply doesn’t go their way and they will resent it till the day they die. For many, these resentments turn into anger and life is a daily uphill battle with no sliver of hope or happiness. Believe it or not, I can identify with this. I can see how after time, if you haven’t changed your way of thinking then the mind would slowly take you into a dark abyss of self pity.
Today I strive to help others that struggle with some of these shortcomings. For some people it’s blatantly obvious while in others I just sense it. I believe whole heartedly in the saying,” Give it away to keep it”. If I want to maintain a happy heart and a grateful attitude then I must display and convey these character traits to those around me. The struggle is real and I have found a solution. It is my responsibility to share it with others. Changing your way of thinking is simple, but not easy. It requires discipline to catch yourself going to the negative side and consciously redirecting the mind to gratitude. We all have a choice but often we are just lazy. It does take a bit of mental energy to stay on the right path. We have so many traps surrounding us disguised as social media and “news”. Thus, generally my first suggestion to those that feel weighed down by life and mentally exhausted is to limit or stop your exposure to social media. Not forever…just while you are learning and developing the skill of mental awareness. If there is time to kill in your daily schedule, adopt some more productive habits like reading, writing in a journal or keeping a daily gratitude list, or better yet, helping and being of service to those around you that need it. The easiest place to start this is in your home or workplace. Often times, the ones we like or care about most, we treat the worst. This certainly doesn’t serve any of us well or lay the foundation for a rewarding marriage, friendship or career. One thing always on my daily gratitude list is my husband. When I think of him, I smile and that makes me happy.
Sitting next to Steve on this flight, I am reminded of just how good we have it. I see and hear about miserable couples all of the time that have lackluster marriages and unfulfilled needs. Not us! This isn’t just because we are lucky though. We both have put a lot of work into training our minds and developing character traits that better us, not for each other but for ourselves. I need to be at my best in order to be the kind of wife I want to be, and the same goes for him. If one of us is struggling, the other can lift them up and tow the line until things settle down. It is not enough to love someone. I believe that you need to like them also and in order to like someone I need to respect them and completely trust them. This is ultimately why my most inner circle is comprised of few and that is okay. This is one area of my life that is very simple and uncluttered. When I am down or struggling with something I know precisely where to go. I am so blessed that one of the places I can go is right into the arms of my man. We are life partners in every aspect including both work and home. We share goals and dreams and try to inspire each other to learn and grow even if at times it’s uncomfortable. I mean, really, how fortunate am I to be sitting next to this handsome man that I love, like, respect and trust who is reading a book at this very moment called “Stillness is the Key” while I’m enjoying a piece of Heath Toffee Fudge from our pre-airport stop at Buc-Cees. Life is good! It is so good and I am so grateful. I am perfectly content at this very moment in time and that’s really all I have ..this moment. Today is the only day I need to concern myself with. If I keep reminding myself of this it keeps me out of fear, worry or regret.
What I’d like to leave you with now is the idea that you CAN control how you feel, you CAN change your character defects, you CAN discipline your mind and you CAN find contentment. You can do all of these things through the daily practice of gratitude. Try keeping a list for 30 days. When you wake up in the morning list at least 5 things you are grateful for, and before you go to sleep at night do the same thing. Develop the habit of steering your mind to a productive and positive place when you both start and end your day. Discipline yourself to do this daily and notice how your perspective of things changes. Start with this small task and build from here. I would love to hear any feedback you have. There is no reason not to start this practice right away. It doesn’t cost anything, nor is it time consuming. I know some of you reading this are just “sick and tired of being sick and tired”. All of us must start with a small step in order to make a change. It is simple but not always easy,. so rely on someone that you can count on when you are struggling. If you don’t have that person, then use me. I am more than willing to offer encouragement to those in need. I know that the struggle is real and I am here to “trudge the road to a happy destiny” with you!
Please email me if you need some help right now, amy@teamhargett.com