I was tagged in a post by the lovely Dee the other day, challenging me to write about something for which I’m grateful.
I’m actually finding this quite difficult. I’m grateful for most things in my life, to be honest. Therefore, choosing one thing to focus on is tough 🙂
And I suppose I should be grateful for that, too – that I have such an abundance in my life. Oh, I don’t mean financial or material abundance – though we’re more fortunate than many on this planet in that we have enough to eat and a roof over our heads. I try and see everything that happens to me as an opportunity to learn – when I had a job I hated, I still tried to learn as much as I could about the role, adding to my experience. I also learned which industries I didn’t want to work in, ever again. When a good friend turned her back on our friendship, I learned how wonderful my other friends were as they rallied around me for support. When I lost family members I tried to remember the joy we shared, rather than focusing on the times we would never have again – there was regret, of course there was, at years and opportunities wasted, but it taught me to value the moment and to make the most of it, to make the effort to keep up with family and friends, as you never know how long you might have with them.
Coming to a place in my life where I choose to be thankful for the things I do have, rather than regretting the things I don’t, has taken work. I’m far from perfect and still have my moments where I feel I let myself down. But if we choose to make a conscious process towards appreciating life, rather than shaking our fist at it, then that’s part of the battle won. I’ve had dear friends come into my life who have taught me to appreciate all that I have. These people came to me when I most needed them, even though I didn’t realise it at the time. If all I’d been focusing on was myself and my own sorrow, perhaps I wouldn’t have noticed their arrival.
So I suppose I’m grateful to be alive. I’m grateful for my family and the love that surrounds me. I’m grateful for my friends, for the fact I get to express my creativity every day, for the fact that I can connect with people all around the world with the click of a mouse. I’m grateful I still have the capacity to learn and enjoy new experiences, wherever they may take me. And I’m grateful that I can appreciate it all.
So what are you grateful for? If you feel up to it, take the Gratitude Challenge as well 🙂
Helen Glynn Jones 
This is a very lovely post Helen.I like it really. Especially the part when you said you learn how to appreciate what you have after you lost something.That is the way to go.
Thanks for accepting the challenge 😁
Thank you Dee, and thanks for giving me the challenge 🙂 xx
Lovely words, and a Gorgeous image, Helen… What an inspiring way to start the week!
Thanks Ali – much appreciated xx
Reblogged this on Suzie Speaks and commented:
Love this post from Helen – go and check out her blog!
Thanks so much Suzie! Looking forward to seeing you next week 🙂
And you my lovely! Is is bad I’m completely nervous though haha!
No, it’s not bad at all! It is a bit nerve wracking 🙂 I think it will be a great day, though
What a lovely thought provoking post!
Thank you 🙂 really pleased you liked it
There are so many things I’m thankful for. Some days it can be hard for all of us to remember that. Thanks for the reminder.
You’re very welcome – thanks for reading 🙂
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Aw this was lovely to read! In a world filled with so much negativity and selfishness, I think being grateful for what we have is so important. I think people often forget about gratitude when they’re going through a rough time which is probably when we need to feel grateful the most. Really enjoyed reading this, you articulated your thoughts really well! Hope you’re having the best day!!
-Nabeela x
http://nabsticle.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks Nabeela! I’m so pleased you enjoyed it and I agree with your thoughts on gratitude. It is hard to feel grateful sometimes, but well worth the effort when we do 🙂 xx
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We all would be more grounded if we took just a few minutes out of each day to summon forth our gifts rather than our grieviences.
Thank you for this post.
You’re very welcome – thanks for visiting 🙂 Also, I love that you used the word ‘grounded’ in your comment – very appropriate!
I am grateful for many aspects of my life, but the main one is that I am still alive.
That’s certainly a big one for me too 🙂
Beautiful post and Gratitude lists are awesome. I recently started writing them and I feel so good about them. It’s like the universe trying to keep you happy! (touch wood)
It is! We create our world by the attitude we present, so being grateful helps us to stay positive (I hope!) Thanks so much for reading and for following – I’m looking forward to reading your blog too 🙂
Thanks for following Helen. 🙂
A sunny post filled with positive emotions. It was nice to meet you through this post. You seem like the kind of person I like to be friends with. Positive and appreciative of both good and bad things. 🙂
Thanks Elissaveta, that’s very kind of you xx
It’s like you’ve taken the words out of my mouth! It took me a bit of work to truly appreciate everything in life, but now that I do, there’s no turning back 🙂 Life is wonderful, and it’s too short to focus on the things we regret.
Thanks for this beautiful post!
Hi Johanna! Thanks so much for your kind words and the link from your blog – I’m so pleased you enjoyed the post. You’re right, it does take work to appreciate what we have, rather than what we don’t – it took me a long time to realise that happiness can be a choice. xx
Oh, and I’ve linked to this post on my blog, http://www.johannarosberg.wordpress.com, just because I wanted to get my reader’s some more inspiration. Thanks again, Helen!
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