Learning to Dance in the Rain

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
~Melody Beattie, therapist, author

Someone wise once said, “Circumstances don’t determine your character—they reveal it.” Who we are as human beings is revealed most clearly during times of struggle, hardship, pain, and suffering. It’s easy to be a good person when things are going great. But when times get tough, that’s when you’ll really find out stuff you’re made of.

Nowhere is this more true than with regard to gratitude. Are you grateful when the storm clouds gather, and it rains on your parade? Can you find gratitude in your heart when you don’t get what you want? Do you feel grateful when illness strikes, loved ones don’t show up for you, jobs and careers disappoint, and nothing seems to be going your way?

Gratitude is not a fair weather virtue. True gratitude means appreciating your life no matter what the storms may bring. Is simply being alive gift enough for you to feel grateful?

“You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.”
~Brian Tracy, motivational speaker and author

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