Gratitude

Recently, I've had many of what I like to call moments of gratitude.  In these moments something happens to me both physically and mentally...a wave of elation travels through my body like a momentary high and I can't help but feel completely satisfied and content in myself and all that surrounds me. These moments tend to happen when I'm most aware of myself...of my circumstances, thoughts, trials, and fortunes.  In particular, I feel the 'moment' happens when I'm able to see the good in it all.

It's not always easy to see the good when trial and misfortune arise, especially in the moment.  But in those periods of  turmoil I try to think of the lesson to be learned, the opportunity for growth.  For me, my struggles have almost always led to a deeper understanding of myself and of a strength I didn't realize I had.  

Our struggles and how we perceive them add to our character and enhance the best parts of who we are. My advice is to try to see struggles as opportunities and be grateful for those opportunities. Gratitude equals happiness. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tedtalks-society-and-culture/id470623803?mt=2&i=1000359479176

Blame Game and Personal Awareness

I believe our experiences as children shape the adults we become; it's why healthy/good parenting is so important. How we perceive life, how we love, how we cope, are learned from early life experiences.

I think it's easy to condemn our parents for how we "turned out", specifically for the unfavorable qualities we exhibit. What's not so easy to remember is that our parents are only human themselves, parenting and living out their lives based on what they've learned from their own early life experiences.  That's not to say that our parents are always justified or exempt in how they parented, but their personal predispositions make their doings more understandable.

Personal awareness is paramount here and not easy to come by.  It takes looking inward and possibly confronting certain thoughts, feelings, or traits that are uncomfortable to manage or acknowledge. Once we are aware, it becomes easier to counteract those negative effects that come from poor childhood experiences. 

Personally, I'm a huge proponent for individual therapy. I also find mindfulness and self-reflection useful tools.  It's why I started this blog in the first place 🙂

So instead of blaming anyone for how I am or how I turned out, I choose to be thankful for the opportunities to grow, learn, persevere, and make myself that much better!