In our current climate, as much as we want to, it is very difficult to focus on gratitude. We live in a divided country, neighbors and family no longer speak to each other, the news around us reminds us constantly of how dire things are,. All of this while we and our friends around the world face a pandemic no one thought possible. At times, it seems like we are all actors in a movie living in some alternate reality. When we think it can’t get any more weird, well….it does. More than ever we are left to tap into our inner strength, faith and compassion, just to ensure that we make it through another day.

However, the human spirit is a beautiful and wonderful thing. During these unprecedented times, we have found a way to tap into our compassion for our fellow persons and replace the angst and darkness of the outside world with love and caring that lies within each of us. In our darkest hour it becomes most necessary to focus on gratitude for that which is good, rather than that which is bad that surrounds us. I call it “baditude”.

A funny thing happens when we mentally express gratitude for those things that we have. As we start to count our blessings, one by one they fill our mental thoughts with the positive, which makes far less room for the negative to affect us. My friend Linda is so good at this. She gives thanks for the food that she eats, the beauty of a new day, her health, the gas in her car, the roof over her head, and the list goes on. When we give thanks and show gratitude for all that we touch and have, our ability to shut out the negative around us starts to expand considerably.

When we are in the mire of bad situations, it becomes very difficult to get ourselves out of it. It’s much easier to wallow in self pity and maintain our “woe is me” attitude in those moments, than to force ourselves to think positively and attempt to bring ourselves out of what we are feeling. However, baby steps often lead to bigger steps that, if we allow it, lead us to running towards a brighter outlook that can greatly enhance our well being, and even our lives. Focusing on gratitude can make “baditude” a thing of the past, if only we take the time to do it.

#morningswithron