Practicing Gratitude Through Difficulty
So often I hear speakers like Wayne Dyer and Abraham Hicks talk about gratitude and finding happiness to raise our vibration in such a way that we are more connected to source. It seems so many followers ask similar questions but the answers are very similar, they are just presented in different ways. The underlying message I hear all the time is just to be grateful where you are. Want to manifest? Be grateful for all you have. Want peace? Be grateful for all you have. Looking for healing? Be grateful for all you have.
There are definitely times where it can be difficult to find the blessings and gratitude in challenging situations. Just lost your job? Be grateful there are so many other jobs available. Be grateful for unemployment insurance. Be grateful that your next position will provide you more freedom, flexibility, joy and abundance. Be grateful for what you are about to receive rather than angry or disappointed in the current circumstance.
This weekend I had a particularly challenging experience. I was playing in a volleyball tournament. It’s the kind of tournament where you sign up as an individual and you are placed on to a team. You don’t know who you are going to play with until play starts. Because I was on the winning team last year, the tournament director had forewarned me that I probably wouldn’t have a strong team. I shrugged at this because regardless of how my team performs, I’m going to have a good time, get some exercise and enjoy the social aspect of the day. I didn’t dwell on the idea of being dealt a bad hand even though I was told to expect this. However, upon the teams being presented I realized I was actually on one of the strongest teams in the tournament. I was giddy and excited for the day! We won our first game and had a great team chemistry. The next game was much closer but we still pulled out a win. I was feeling that athletic flow that winners speak about when you are dialed in and doing all the right things. About 5 plays into our 3rd game I dove for a ball. I got under the ball and pulled out a great dig but as my elbow touched the sand I immediately felt it happen. My right shoulder dislocated. The play was still going on as I laid on the ground trying to tell everyone that my shoulder was out. The play finally ended with my team winning the point and everyone on the court finally realizing I was injured. It was visually apparent that my arm was not where it should be. To my luck, there was an ER doctor playing in the tournament. He instructed my friend where to place counter pressure as he quickly, easily and painlessly repositioned my arm back into the shoulder socket. While the dislocation wasn’t totally painless, I sat in total appreciation and gratitude that it was repositioned within 2 minutes. I even considered continuing to play the rest of the day but took the doctor’s advice to take it easy and give the stretched out tendons and ligaments a chance to repair for the next 2-4 weeks.
What a bummer! My team was playing great, we had such a positive vibe and were headed towards a possible win. But now I’m out of the tournament with ice on my shoulder watching from the sidelines ….and I couldn’t have been more grateful. I thanked my guides and angels for protecting me and giving me strength to get through the worst of it. I felt immense gratitude for the ER doctor being onsite. I was happy I didn’t end up in an ambulance or at the ER. I felt loved and cared for by many other players coming to my aid with water, ice, and concern for my well being. There was a professional volleyball player watching the tournament that was kind and knowledgable enough to tape my shoulder for a little extra support. There were so many things about that day that went right, I sat not in disappointment because of the tournament ending injury, but rather pure gratitude for all that went right.
We will all go through tribulations in life but it’s how we flow with those that creates our reality. Are you flowing in a state of disappointment for what you do not have or spending more of your time reveling in the state of gratitude? If things aren’t going well, that is the most important time to ramp up your gratitude practice. Law of Attraction says where your mind goes your energy flows. And remember, practice makes perfect. Keep practicing! I love you and am grateful if you’ve made it this far in this particularly long post.
-Caroline