Count Your Blessings

I think one of the biggest traps in life is getting caught up in negativity. Most people do not like when people are happy all the time. Don't you think if you walked around all rosy every single second like there were no problems and you couldn't stop smiling, people would throw invisible daggers your way? Why is it that people are happy to be unhappy? It's like we are so bogged down in our own problems and worries that we can't see others move beyond theirs...because it forces us to realize that we are part of our own problem. We are our own worst enemy in terms of happiness. We can choose to either focus on the positive or the negative.

You always hear the phrase "it's the little things." Aren't they worth getting excited about? It's easy to forget to count your blessings. Gratitude is at the heart of joy. When we appreciate all the gifts God is giving us, we are suddenly happier because we see life for what it is . . . a daily opportunity to love. Here are simple joys most people can experience right now...sitting outside in beautiful weather working from home, catching up with friends on the phone who live far away, quiet visits to the Tabernacle, making home made dinners, preparing for holiday celebrations . . . being still. I think what this world forgets how to do is to be still.

There's something about slowing down that makes you see the blessings around you. When life moves at a pace where one day jumps over the next, you are so busy trying to keep up that you look at where you are going rather than where you are. This is one of my favorite quotes about writing, but can also be applied to life, "writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."

On this Palm Sunday when all hail Christ as King, count your blessings and thank Him for them, remembering in the words of St Therese, "Jesus does not demand great actions from us, but simply surrender and gratitude."