You know those days when everything seems to go wrong? I know those days too – shoot, I know weeks like that, and, just coming off such a week, I look back and see that every chance I grumbled was really a chance to practice grace, or, if you will, the verbal practice of gratitude. Here are a few ways I turned my grumbles into moments of grace-filled gratitude, and I’ll be honest, the week still wore on me physically, but emotionally and mentally I couldn’t have felt better, more blessed or more in love with life. I challenge you to approach every grumble you are given this week with the same strategy:
My laptop broke, grumble; it gave me a week-long break from the bustle of my business, grace and gratitude. My baby was sick, grumble; she and I got to cuddle all week and I held her close without her wiggling, grace and gratitude. My local Starbucks got stingy on me in regards to water and the baristas were rude, grumble; I was lucky enough to have a break in my week to go write at a Starbucks and to pay a few bucks too many for my coffee, grace and gratitude. My own health went underwater – my plantar fasciitis in my foot flared up, affecting my marathon training plan and my immune system got hit hard with a cold, grumble; I was given no choice but to shut down, rest and recover through sleep and downtime, grace and gratitude. My vehicle needed unexpected work, hundreds of dollars worth, grumble; I have a vehicle, two actually, and my family and I were able to get the repairs done immediately, as needed, grace and gratitude.
Big or small, as you are presented with things that make you initially grumble, challenge yourself to find the grace that therein lies, for I am convinced there is never something we are given that comes packaged in a grumble, that, when positioned with gratitude, can be a point of grace in our lives. It’s not always easy to train your thoughts to shift in this way, but I can guarantee you that it is always worth the mental effort.
