Gratitude is sometimes thought of as a simple expression of thanks, but it can be deeply transformative. My daily gratitude list began as an inventory of all the blessings in my life: my kids, my cats, my job. Over time I started thinking more about all the things I take for granted: running water, trees, the changing seasons. Finally, I began including my troubles and challenges on the list. Henri Nouwen captures this beautifully:

“To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives―the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections―that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only truly grateful people when we can say thank you to all that has brought us to the present moment. As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings.”

When we practice this kind of gratitude, we begin to see life as it truly is: rich, complex, and full of endless lessons!

With love,
Mirza