EVERY DAY, WE MAKE THE CHOICE

Know what I love best about this blog? It forces me to practice gratitude.

In her book Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach explained that the first step towards a sense of abundance is learning to identify and be grateful for the blessings that are already present in one's life. This really struck a chord with me, for I have always believed that happiness is a choice. We have all come across people who have little or nothing, but who still manage to stay upbeat and cheerful most of the time, just as we have known people who have much to be grateful for, but who just can't see it. I have one friend, in fact, who in all the years I have known her, has never once answered my simple "How's it going?" with , "Not bad. Can't complain." I finally came to the conclusion that she's just not happy unless she's got something to be un-happy about. We all know people like that. We call them Drama Queens.

Sarah strongly urges us to keep a "gratitude journal", where we make a conscious effort every day to focus on what is positive about our lives, and to give thanks for it. I can't tell you how many times I have started one of these, only to run out of steam mid-way through. I'm forever scrounging around my shelves and cabinets, looking for a spare notebook for one purpose or another, only to flip one open and discover the words GRATITUDE JOURNAL written boldly on the first page. It usually gives me a good chuckle, but then I almost always end up taking a moment to sit down and read through some of the things that I was thankful for at that particular time. I guess Sarah was correct in her belief that gratitude leads to joy, for each time I do this, I actually end up feeling happier.

So, what has any of this got to do with my blog? Well, yesterday we received the sweetest thank you note for a wedding gift, that we have ever received in our lives. In it she said simply "I hope we have as much fun in our marriage as y'all have." Now, I've no way of knowing - she may have said that to everyone - but if she really means it, how does she even know how much fun we have? She hasn't really been around us much since we lived in Indonesia. Then I remembered, she was one of my very first friends on facebook (back when there was no one my own age there to play with), so perhaps she follows the occasional links I post there, back to my blog.

I guess it would be easy to read these postings and assume that our lives are a whirlwind of non-stop fun. Some might even think I lead a charmed life, but Beth, if you are reading this, I just want you to know, there is no such thing. Every person, and every marriage, on this planet will encounter both good and bad in their lives. I could just as easily write a blog where I did nothing but whine. Instead, every time I sit down at this computer and think about what to write, I make the conscious choice to run back through my day and focus on what was good about it, and to feel grateful for it, which leads to feelings of joy, and thus, to a sense of abundance.

Well what do ya know? Guess I've been keeping that gratitude journal after all!