Gratitude: By definition, the word means to be appreciative, thankful or to give praise or recognition.

We’re encouraged to thank our Creator for all the blessings in our lives, to write gratitude journals and record our gifts daily, monthly or at the start of the new year.

Alternatively, we don’t hear of many people who are thankful for any of the bad stuff which some record in their journals, but you  can probably be assured that they aren’t grateful for it. Perhaps, we are thankful for all the good things that happen to us because so much of the information we receive day-to-day focuses on events and things that are negative, which at times make our lives a living hell. Through all of this, we complain about how bad our lives are, but often fail to see the blessings that are interwoven in the midst of challenges and turmoil. Fortunately, human beings can bear a lot. We can fall to seemingly the lowest depths, but have the ability to rise again magnificently. When we do come out of a bad situation and there is calm, hopefully we are able to recognize the lessons learnt and the tools our Creator has given us to weather the worst storms.

There is no growth without challenge. Yet, we keep asking ourselves, why do we have to go through so many difficulties with a little bit of joy thrown in here and there, maybe, if we’re lucky.  Words like thankful, grateful or lucky seem forever intertwined with bad breaks and bad luck. Viewed in a more objective light, the latter two should be looked upon as challenges with the potential of positive outcomes.

So, here we are moseying on in life; everything seems to be going well and then suddenly, out of nowhere and totally unexpected, something hits us hard and knocks us down. Are we going to have a pity party, get depressed, stay down after being knocked down? I don’t think so.   Rise up and get ready to take on this challenge! Our Creator has armed us with the tools we need for these battles. The fight is on and the objective is to come out the winner and even if we lose this round, we’re going to come back, but this time we’re going to be stronger.

When there are good times, you should enjoy them. Don’t dwell on what might be lurking around the corner or sit around waiting for something bad to happen.  Sometimes we create or help create the bad situations, so when they happen we’re not taken by surprise.  However, there are other times when  it comes from nowhere. It can be scary, exciting and be near death experiences in extreme cases, but guess what, arm yourself and be ready. Be prepared to come out a winner. The only real failure in life is when you stop trying. Most of us will live 70, 80 and up to 100 years plus, so you’ve got a lot of time and never stop trying!

Why can’t we have eternal bliss? Why is it that some people enter this world and sail through life seemingly unscathed? We see the outside of other people, but cannot see the inside. There is no human being on this earth who does not have to work on something to better themselves, otherwise they would not be here. We all have to work on these things before we leave this planet. It is important to recognize and understand that every time you come out of a bad situation, you’ve gained something. Whether it’s the drug addict or alcoholic who cleaned  up and is now on a path to help those who want to clean up their lives or a battered wife who escaped from a bad situation and is working in that center to help others to recognize the signs of an unhealthy relationship.

The years these people have missed because they were in a fog cannot be counted as wasted time. They went down to the depths of darkness and came back up to enlighten others. They understand the journey and assist others in theirs. How great is that? They are grateful for another chance and now it’s their time to feel worthy and to share.   Making contributions to the world, giving to others, is fulfilling. We’ve heard on numerous occasions: We didn’t come here to party; we came here to learn. Some would argue, I didn’t ask to come here, but who in the world would not want to come here! Who would not want to experience this beautiful planet? Name another planet in the Universe where they have it as good as we do. You cannot; not because these planets don’t exist, it’s just that we haven’t found them yet. In the meantime, we have inhabited a place where it has everything we need to live up to a 100 years and more in some rare cases. The pundits and prophets have come before us to guide us and from what we have learned so far, is that we ought to be grateful for what we have and arm yourselves with the tools the Creator has given us to weather the storms. That is one of the main reasons we are here; to contribute, to make this planet a better place. And during this journey we experience immense growth, peace and satisfaction. This is when we begin to enjoy our home,  Planet Earth.

We leave you with peace and blessings.

Sharon and Rick