Choosing my Rose Colored Glasses
Confession: I don’t always walk in victory— I’m just the queen of self-talk. In fact, who knows what you would think if you could actually hear the banter that takes place in my head. I am constantly talking myself into a right response and reminding myself about the power of my choices. Do you ever experience something like this? Given the battles I’ve fought to get here, I find it amazing how quickly my memory lapses when I’m on autopilot.
I’ve lived through some blood, sweat, and tears to learn this truth: Our response to everything—the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful— is 100% our choice. No excuses.
It’s a huge responsibility and a difficult thing to re-condition yourself. Yet choice is so incredibly powerful—whether it be for bad or for good. It is life or death, peace or turmoil, gratitude or misery.
I recently read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and it was an absolute treasure. It’s a powerful reminder that we were created to live out all of our moments with a spirit of gratitude.
She says:
“If I am rejecting the joy that is hidden somewhere deep in this moment—am I not ultimately rejecting God? Whenever I am blind to joy’s well, isn’t it because I don’t believe in God’s care? That God cares enough about me to always offer me joy’s water, wherever I am, regardless of circumstance.”
–Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts (emphasis mine)
I think our over-scheduled, plugged-in lives can foster serious distraction from what matters most, and our immediate gratification culture has warped our expectations about what it means to have a beautiful life. I know I catch myself connecting in a moment— thinking how special it is— but I’m very quickly pulled away.
Perhaps appreciating moments has become more of a “to-do” than a lifestyle.
The good news is, we can change. We can recondition ourselves for gratitude. We can choose to reengage with our lives.
I’m designating this November a month of gratitude, and I am going to work on re-conditioning my gratitude choices. Each day I will pick at least one moment when I’m rushing, or inviting distraction, or focusing on a negative, and I will actively choose to stop and consider gratitude. I will press in to that moment, noticing the beauty hidden in it, and I will stay there long enough to feel my heart soften and change… Long enough for my choice of gratitude to become an experience of gratitude.
If it takes 21 days to create a habit, then come December 1, I should be well on my way to a more fulfilling, grateful, joy-filled life. Care to join me? Let’s share our daily moments of gratitude with this hashtag: #GratitudeMoment
Just comment back on my Gratitude posts with your stories. I know we will both be so encouraged.
Thanks for holding me accountable. You are invaluable to me!
