"Gratitude turns what we have into enough."
My aunt sent this quote in her weekly email to the family. I am not sure who said it originally but it really touched me. Lately I have found myself using up all of my free time perusing pinterest for houses, clothes, shoes, craft ideas, food and all kinds of other projects and items I want. This leads me to website after website, shopping, perusing, filling up shopping carts with items I wish I could buy. I find myself staring at the items in the shopping cart, imagining what it would be like to have them, and what credit card I could use to buy them. I glance in the mirror and find myself frowning at the face looking back. I wonder what makes me think those clothes would even look good on that 5'11" 160 pound, bore 3 children, never been petite frame. I wonder how I could lose 20 pounds in a week...maybe I could pick up a parasite. I daydream of being really skinny with beautiful hair and skin in some other kitchen, in some other house, in some other city, in some other state, always wanting something I don't have. I feel blinded to the beauty that actually surrounds me. Gratitude turns what we have into enough! I have 3 beautiful children who are healthy and smart and funny and I have a caring husband who makes me laugh. My husband has a job and we have food to eat and a place to live in a beautiful city. I am grateful for what I have and I have enough. I need to say this to myself every day.
So true! I need this reminder regularly. I've been keeping a gratitude journal for almost a year now- it helps to count those blessings, because otherwise life can be all about "wishlists". I posted yesterday in my declutter group about how I've been spending too much time wondering how "everyone" else affords such expensive houses. I need to be grateful for the house that I have, small that it is. Comparison is the thief of joy. Thanks for sharing Emilee. I got some $$$ to spend from the Nebraska summer, $1000. And I found myself spending lots of time trying to figure out how to spend it, and it was depressing, because it seemed like everyone else already affords X,Y,Z luxuries that I was trying to decide between. But I set that aside for awhile and focused on decluttering, finding what I could give away and get rid of every day for 40 days. Makes your realize how blessed you are, and that you really do have more than you need. That less really is more. Thanks again for sharing.
ReplyDeletep.s. Please, know, You are beautiful. If you were going to compare yourself: You are tall and thin! compared to about 95% of the population. Don't look at the 2% who are airbrushed fashion models. Comparison sure is the thief of joy. Be happy in your own body, that was able to bear 3 children, isn't it an amazing gift? I don't like watching commercials, because I start feeling bad about my skin and hair. So, I don't watch them. There really is lots of beauty and joy in this world, thanks for the reminder.
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