On gratitude.

 

A grateful heart.

It's something I've been thinking a lot about lately.

The holiday season is upon us, and while these last two months of the year naturally lend themselves to helping us recall what we should be thankful for...what I'm wanting this year is more.

More than a list of blessings.

More than just a month of acknowledging.

What I want is a change in my heart.

 

Let me explain, most of the time I am surrounded by more blessings than I can even begin to count...but often times my heart searches for what is next, wanting more, comparing.

 

Oh that sneaky devil...comparison.

 

I'm sure you've seen around the bloggy/pinterest/facebook world the saying "Comparison is the Thief of Joy" and I couldn't agree more. It is so easy to compare ourselves to others in this bloggy/pinterest/facebook world in which we live...

Look at her clothes!
Oh my goodness, her house is so perfectly decorated!

Did you see that amazing vacation they just went on?

That mom is so lucky- she gets to stay home with her kids!

That mom is so lucky- she has a successful career!

How long do I have to workout to look like that?

She is so clever and crafty- what lucky kids to have her as a mom!

I wish...

I wish...

I wish...

 

Ugh. It's exhausting. And unnecessary. And unhealthy.

So here's my theory...I think if comparison is the thief of our joy, then the way to get it back must be through gratitude. Through a continual practice of a grateful heart. To gain the quiet confidence that comes through such thankfulness.

So that's my goal.



But let's be honest, it's not always easy to do that in the moment.
In the moment, it's easy to get caught up in the frustrations and challenges and temptations.
It's always easier after the moment has passed to look back and realize some of those frustrations really are just blessings in disguise.
What's harder is realizing we have enough. We ARE enough.

A three year old who battles us with eating?....How fortunate we are that our issues are that she often chooses to exert her independence in the form of food strikes vs. the alternative of not having enough food for her to eat.
That sounds a little overly dramatic, and I'm not meaning it to.
It's just the shift in thinking that I'm striving towards. A journey towards a constant grateful heart.

Oh...and I'm pretty sure eating pie can always help on that journey.
Off we go my friends.