Being Grateful with Life's Challenges
"Being Grateful During Life's Challenges" Written by Shakti Gawain
"It is relatively easy to feel grateful when good things are
happening and life is going the way we want it to. Even then, we
often take things for granted. It feels so good to take a moment to
express our appreciation to other people, to the earth, to our
higher power, to life.
"A much greater challenge is to get in touch with gratitude when we
are going through a difficult time, or life is not going the way we
think it should. At these times, we are more likely to be feeling
hurt, confused, or resentful, which is perfectly natural. Gratitude
is the last thing that would occur to us at such a moment. There
have been times in my life when I felt more like shaking my fist at
the universe, wondering why it was dealing me such a cruel blow.
"It's interesting, though, that after going through a difficult
time, in retrospect we can often see that there was something
important and necessary about that experience. We may not arrive at
this perspective until months or even years later, but eventually we
can see that there was some important lesson learned, a deepening of
our wisdom, an awakening, or perhaps a new door that opened in our
life as a result of events that seemed negative at the time.
"For example, the loss of a job may have led us to spiritual or
emotional healing. The ending of a relationship may give us the
opportunity to discover that we need time alone, or it may pave the
way for a more satisfying partnership. At that point, we may begin
to feel grateful that life unfolded as it did.
"Usually, a painful time in our life is what I call a "healing
crisis." We are letting go of something old, and opening to
something new. Often, it happens because we have ALREADY grown in
consciousness, and therefore, can no longer live in the old way.
Sometimes we are being confronted with a necessary change that we
must make within ourselves and/or in our lives. There is a grieving
process that we must go through as we let go of something we've been
attached to. We must allow ourselves to feel our fear and sadness,
and we can also remind ourselves that there is a gift in this
experience that we simply can't yet see.
"So if you are going through a healing crisis in your life right
now, reach out for as much support and love as you can, and allow
yourself to fully experience all the feelings that come up. Ask that
the gift in this experience be revealed to you as soon as you are
ready for it. And remember that after a little time passes and you
gain perspective, you will once again feel grateful for the amazing
journey of your life."