My glass is grateful for many things…
I started a gratitude practice about two years ago, going so far as to gift “The Five Minute Journal” to my entire family and several friends at Christmas. As with anything, it resonated strongly with some and not so much with others, but I think there’s a reason that the concept of gratitude is having it’s moment in the sun here recently: the theme at large resonates with us. There is SO much to be annoyed with and afraid of right now, and we need the counter-argument more than ever. We all need a way to be reminded to be grateful for where we are. For who we are. For the gifts we have.
I ran across an article this week that prompted this post. I follow an author named Seth Godin, whose books are mainly about marketing, but he did an interview on gratitude that I thought was terrific. Here’s the link, and my favorite quote from the interview:
“My point is that acting “as if” is way underrated. Act “as if.” If you start acting grateful, you will be grateful. If you are grateful, you will start feeling confident. If you are confident, you will start feeling safe. If you feel safe then you will be creative.”
And here’s the Five Minute Journal, for those of you to whom I haven’t already given one. Or if you need a new one, mom. 🙂
This does actually relate to traveling….
My sister and I got a wonderful lesson in gratitude in January, and it came with a gorgeous view instead of a bonk on the head, which is how most of my life lessons tend to arrive. Our brother and our now sister-in-law got married in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where she grew up and where much of her family still lives. The wedding was an amazing experience for our small band of Americans that made the trip – such a fabulous celebration of life and love and family (and amazing food). The ceremony and the reception were an almost impossible combination of elegant and creative and outrageously fun.
The day after the wedding, my sister and I headed to Adam’s Peak, a mountain in the interior of the country that is holy to several major religions, due to a footprint at the top, deemed to be that of either Adam, or Shiva, or Buddha, depending upon whom you ask. Here’s what floored us: we got up at 1 am to start the hike in order to arrive at the top at sunrise. Not only were we not alone, we were accompanied up the 5,000+ stairs (yes, you read that right. five. thousand. stairs.) by pilgrims of all ages, many very old, some clearly sick and being helped by relatives, some with no shoes, many not dressed properly.
In our REI hiking gear and sturdy shoes, we kept any complaints about the arduous climb to ourselves, and just took it all in. We were instantly reminded to be grateful to be warm, dry, young, and strong. We climbed up behind and alongside and past families, barefoot kids, dogs, monks, grandmothers, other tourists…. five thousand stairs makes a great equalizer. The view at the top did not disappoint – it was, in a word, breathtaking. But it was the climb up in the pre-dawn darkness that will stick with us.
I am so grateful to be able to travel, to explore other cultures, to share meals and wine and ideas and experiences with people all over the world. I’m grateful for the friends and family that I miss when I’m traveling, the career I have back home, and the amazing team I get to work with.
What are you grateful for?
Cheers!
Traveling Girl
Traveling Girl With a Glass 