Appreciating, rather than being grateful?

Recently, I realised I’d heard the word gratitude way too much & it was ceasing to have any meaning any more. And… I don’t always feel grateful, but I do appreciate aspects of my life & draw attention to them in my morning journalling. Since changing the heading, I’ve found it’s had more impact, as it better describes how I’m feeling.

My understanding is that gratitude can tie in with what our expectations are… Perhaps, because I expect to wake up each morning, safe & sound in my bed, in my home, I wouldn’t describe my feeling as gratitude, but do I appreciate it… yeah, totally! It was a comment from a client a while back that led me to explore the subtle difference.

Truth is, I expected to live a long, healthy, happy life, with a good job, loved by friends & family etc etc, from way back… & frankly, the self development work I’ve done has often been prompted by the fact that hasn’t occurred as I thought it would! And, whilst I never saw it as a right, I did expect it, & was disappointed when it didn’t unfold that way! So, I’ve learned to ‘back track’, reframe, review… & slowly come to appreciate all the amazing aspects of my life, even if much of it did not turn out the way I imagined… It’s all been a little more complicated, more challenging, and, as a result, also more rewarding!

Appreciating may not be the best description for you, so explore other words to use if you’re falling out of love with routines / habits / rituals that you use to support you view your life in a useful, positive & realistic way. I love a quote from Maya Angelou – my great hope is to laugh as much as I cry…. good enough for me… sunshine & rain…!!