Gratitude in the Midst of Struggle

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Gratitude in the Midst of Struggle

By Jaime Willis

"Hope is a choice, not a sum. You can have as much of it as you damn well please, regardless of circumstances." - Matt Ruff, Sewer, Gas, and Electric

This is week is all about gratitude.

Some of you may be struggling this week to feel thankful. You may be dealing with financial difficulties, personal set-backs, family drama, loss, or illness. You may wonder what you have to be grateful for as nothing in your life is going as you want. I hear you. It is hard to gather the emotional strength to soldier on and stay positive in tough times.

What can you do to build a grateful heart in the midst of struggle?

First, dig deep and try to find a silver lining in whatever difficulty you are dealing with. When I am struggling and can't find anything to be positive about, I go back to the basics. As people who know me well know, I am frequently sharing my thanks for flush toilets. Really! There are folks in other parts of the world that don't have indoor plumbing. I am grateful that no matter what else I may be struggling with in my life, I am not worried about outhouses and chamber pots, because I have flush toilets. My thanksgiving for indoor plumbing may seem silly, but it always helps me put my situation in context -- it could be a lot worse.

Second, when you can't find the strength to grab your own silver lining, lean on your support system. G at Momastery.blogspot.com spoke about this in her blog today, and it was so powerful, I wanted to share with you all:

There is a song by Bebo Norman, called "Borrow Mine." It is a song he wrote about a conversation heard between two friends; one, who was going through deep personal troubles, told the other, "I just don't know if I have faith anymore." The other friend replied by saying, "Then, you can borrow mine. I'll have enough faith for both of us."

I am constantly amazed when my friends offer me encouragement and support at just the right time to pick me up. I am so grateful for the love and support of my family and friends, especially in my times of struggle.

Last, I want to share a few songs (below) that help keep my spirits up when I'm feeling low.

I hope everyone has a very happy Thanksgiving!

Hope by Twista featuring Faith Evans