DEEP GRATITUDE – BEING GRATEFUL FOR THE BAD STUFF
There’s alot of information and interest about Gratitude lately. With the dawn of positive psychology over the past ten years, and with films and book s such as The Secret it feels as though everyone has something to say on the subject.
It’s great to remember how lucky we are for our friends and family, for the sunshine, for our sight, hearing, mobility etc; and Wow doesn’t it just boost you when you realise what you have!
However I would like to explore the subject of gratitude a little further. I guess one could coin it “Deep Gratitude.”
At one point in my life I went through a very bad experience. Someone I was associated with did something very , very ,wrong to me. In the event I lost my home and had a real struggle to get my life back together.
A few months later just getting back on my feet, I was chatting with a friend one day and I found myself telling her that I was grateful for what had happened to me. She seemed very surprised.
“How can you be grateful for that!” was her response.
I explained to her that I was still angry with the behaviour that was inflicted on me, but as time had gone on, I had realised all the positive lessons that I learned from that experience.
I had learned that I could be strong, that I could (as Susan Jeffers states in her wonderful book) Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway.
I had learned that it would be helpful for me to be more discerning about the people I mixed with.
I had been reminded that I was a valid and worthy human being who deserved to be loved and respected – so it would be a good idea to avoid those who didn’t treat me accordingly in the future.
The financial distress that the situation caused me, spurred me on to work harder at my career and now I am successful where before I had been just treading water.
I grew much closer to my family who I realised would be there for me when I needed them.
All these “positives” came about because of the very “negative” experience I had had.
Today I am very grateful for that experience. (Dreadful as it was at the time, that I had to go through the natural process of hurt, anger and pain. I guess there is gratitude in that too; the recognition that I am a sensitive and caring human being who feels emotions – and I like that about me.
So my message is – we can be grateful for ALL our experiences in life.
Sometimes when we are experiencing the bad times, its hard to think that one day we could possibly look back at this and see the positives. By working through our problems with a professional counsellor, we can move forward to a happier and healthier life.
If you feel you would like some counselling, please contact me at
