The art of gratitude

I love this time of year.  It can be busy and crazy… overwhelming even.  But there’s also something magical in the air.  A new year is about to begin.  Can you feel it beckon?  In amongst all the celebrations, it is a good time to pause and reflect:

Are you where you thought you’d be this time last year?

How has life surprised you?

What have you learnt?

It is a good time for letting things go.  Letting go doesn’t mean you have to like what’s happened.  It doesn’t mean you have to feel any particular way about your life.  It just means accepting that life is what it is and your feelings are your feelings. 

It is also a good time to remember all that you have to be grateful for: the people you love, the simple pleasures you enjoy, the beauty of nature…  Pause and really think about all of it.  We got to live another year, didn’t we?  Another year of ups and downs, of joys and sorrows… what a gift…

Apply it to your life:  What are you grateful for?