Blog #8: What are you grateful for today?
What are you grateful for today?
Today, I am grateful for…
Food so good that you can’t help but to smile when it hits your tastebuds,
Friends that feel like family,
Family that feel like friends,
Morning cuddles with my two pretty kitties,
The peaceful corners throughout my home,
Matthew for loving me unconditionally,
And this blog for teaching me that vulnerability is my greatest strength.
I have a special relationship with gratitude because I was actually born the day before everyone’s (second) favorite holiday, Thanksgiving! My mom liked to joke that I must have been born the day before so that I could make it to the party and be the star of the show. ;)
For the most part, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday because it consists of my two favorite things: good family and good food. Except for one year… I remember when I was old enough to learn what a “boycott” was, I refused to eat the Thanksgiving turkey in hopes that my birthday could be celebrated separately from the traditional American holiday. The following year, my birthday fell on the Friday after Thanksgiving, so I suppose I got what I wanted after all. :)
In all sincerity though, I always come back to gratitude. When I was a young child, I remember how my mom used to ingrain in me the importance of being thankful. She would sit down with me and my sister and ask: “What is everyone grateful for today? I’ll go first…” then we’d go around the table and each say one thing we were grateful for. As a mirror of my mother, I would often throw the question back at her during random moments throughout the years. I later found out that she wrote many lists of gratitude in stream-of-consciousness style as a form of prayer.
I’ve come to learn that gratitude is the gateway to the soul. Gratitude is the gift that keeps on giving. When you have a grateful heart, you are perfectly content with the life you live and ask for nothing more. Your prayers are already answered because you already have everything. Of course life can be difficult and it’s often hard to see the bright side of things, but gratitude is patient and kind. When you allow yourself to see the beauty in life again, gratitude will be there waiting for you.
When my mom passed away, I was pessimistic that I would ever enjoy life to the same degree as before. My capacity for joy shrunk as small as my damaged spirit. I started to become depressed by the idea that I could never be truly happy again. And then I realized how much more sad it was to know that I was depriving myself of happiness. Slowly but surely, I started to rediscover my high points and fill the void in my heart. I started to fully ground myself in the present moment again.
One tool that has SIGNIFICANTLY helped me along that path is my humble little gratitude journal. It was gifted to me by my beautiful little sis that I met through the Filipino Club at USC (shoutout Alana!). The journal has many prompts for practicing daily gratitude, but one question that recurs is: “What are you grateful for today?” As an added bonus, it has some profound quotes about gratitude sprinkled throughout.
I feel unspeakably lucky because my first entries in my first gratitude journal all took place during my first trip to Hawaii. Everywhere I glanced, I had something to be grateful for. I paid close attention to each of my five senses so that I could take in the moment even more. I expressed so much gratitude for my senses. I started to notice the finest details in the creations of Mother Nature. I saw the richness of color again.
On the third day, I went snorkeling for the first time and witnessed the absolute beauty of the coral reefs. I fully acknowledged the fact that these beautiful communities are slowly disappearing due to climate change, and thanked the Universe for allowing me to share their space while I still can. I distinctly remember whispering to myself under the water: “My life is so perfect. My life is so perfect. My life is so perfect.” I can’t even tell you how long it had been since I last experienced that thought and believed it with every fiber of my being.
There’s so much for me to unpack from that trip as a literal spiritual awakening, but I’ll save that for another blog post. What’s most important from the trip is the fact that I re-learned gratitude, self-love, self-confidence, inner-child and peace of mind.
On my plane ride back home from the trip, I dubbed my eternal gift from the islands my “Hawaii State of Mind.” I wouldn’t have to worry about experiencing stress or doubt when I returned to my normal life because I could always tap into my “Hawaii State of Mind.”
I strongly believe that practicing more gratitude can heal this world. When we appreciate every being for their every being, we protect and respect them. That includes ourselves. We cannot see all the goodness in life until we are content with ourselves.
Looking back on the throes of 2020 made me realize that I was subject to my own manipulation for so long. Now I refuse to sabotage myself of the love and happiness I deserve. The biggest act of defiance to my negative mindset was starting this blog. I had been aching for creativity and self-expression in my life, so I finally got up and opened the door without hesitation. And you know what made that especially easy? You all.
Every person that has interacted with my blog is what I’m the most grateful for today. All you beautiful souls give me the confidence to continue sharing my inner most thoughts with the world while healing my heart. For that, I thank you. <333
~ Drop in the comments what you are grateful for today :) ~
