Gratitude — Who Matters?!
What are you grateful for? Go ahead and think about it for a moment. Most of us automatically focus on the people, places, and things that really matter to us. One of the gifts of gratitude is it can bring us back to the here and now and to what really matters. One of my first thoughts today was of my fur-babies. Below is my cat Little Gray along with Cinnamon, the comforting stuffed dog I’ve had since childhood. In this moment, I’m grateful for both of them. You might also notice the bag of bones in the background — I have 2 shih-tzus who also make the list.
Here is an example of one of my gratitude lists.
Today I’m grateful for:
~Family & friends
~Fur babies
~Clients & opportunities to be of service
~Stories & systems
~Silence & solitude
~Health & clarity
I’m especially grateful for stories today. As a therapist, one of my roles is to be a witness to the stories entrusted to me. The narratives that we internalize shape our worldview — how we look and feel about ourselves and others. So, today, I’m grateful for my ability to choose the stories I tell myself — about myself, about the world I live in, and about those around me. I’m also grateful for learning how to discern truth from fiction by using the lenses of love and compassion.
One of my favorite stories is Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss and the truths it reveals.
Just in case you haven’t read the book or don’t remember the story:
One day an elephant named Horton hears a tiny sound. No one else in the jungle can hear the sound, but Horton realizes it’s coming from a small speck of dust in the air. On that speck exists an entire village made up of the many Whos of Whoville. The big elephant can’t see the Whos but can hear them clearly and vows to be their protector. The other animals in the jungle are threatened by Horton’s “who-ha” and decide to boil the speck in oil. To save themselves, the Whos must convince the other animals they really exist. They all join, at Horton’s urging, shouting at the top of their lungs. They make as much noise as they can, but the other animals still can’t hear them. It’s only when the smallest and last Who adds his voice that the village is heard and saved.
“Their voices were heard! They rang out clear and clean….And their whole world was saved by the Smallest of All!”
I love this story’s messages:
· A person’s a person, no matter how small.
· The smallest of persons was the most important of all.
· Every voice matters.
I’m grateful for this because it “right-sizes” me. We all matter.
The story Horton Hears a Who helps me to remember I am truly a speck in the 2 trillion galaxies of the universe — and yet — I still matter. It also reminds me amidst my mattering, the world is so much bigger than I am. This latter view creates a sense of awe — an awe that actually helps me to relax into the unfolding of my life story — and an invitation to fall back into the abyss, safe and held. Horton reminds me to use my voice and encourage others to do the same, for every voice matters — just like the littlest Who.
So, back to that gratitude list —
When we talk about gratitude, the phrase “The devil is in the details” morphs into “The gift is in the details.” Exploring just one story created tremendous gratitude and abundance for me. So, I went back to that very stale, boring list at the beginning of this story, and here is my revised gratitude list:
~The feel of Little Gray’s fur on my chin as I nuzzle her
~The distinctive snorting laugh of my mother
~The movement of my love’s mouth
~Remembering the twinkling of my daddy’s blue eyes
~The joy of being comfortable in my sagging skin
~The sound of my great aunt saying with a think southern drawl, “Well, sir…”
That’s where it gets real — in the details. When you enter the details of your life, do you find “the devil,” or do you find gratitude? I think it depends on what one is looking for. My mind may find “the devil,” but my soul finds gratitude.
I invite you to dive into the details of your life, and your gratitude list might just get sweeter — clearer — more real. You might just find an important Who (hiding from obvious view) that makes all the difference.
Invitations:
Write down your own gratitude list. Now, go deeper — enter into each “item” on that list and find some details that really make that “item” come to life.
Remember gratitude is best thought of as a verb — an action to take. How can you commit yourself today to action — actions of loving, caring, and sharing — inspired by your list?
Oh, and just one last thing before I go — here are those shih-tzus!
Namaste.
Love & blessings,
Sherri
PS If you want to listen to Horton Hears a Who, here’s a video link.
Gratitude creates calm. Until next time. xo
