Then tomorrow, when your complaint tank is empty, don’t do anything. Just sit there. Take a breath and let it be. Slowly breathe in and slowly exhale until you experience a spacious and lovely emptiness.
I called my mother-in-law yesterday because she never complains. She’s 97 years old. We just talked about life, family, and local news. You know what she told me? She said she was so grateful for the little things. Making a cup of coffee in the morning, then doing the breakfast dishes. Walking back to her bedroom in the country house where she lives with her youngest son and making the bed. She’s grateful she can take a bath and put on her clothes. She’s in a constant state of gratitude and can find the thankfulness for the small and the big and nothing at all. When you allow yourself to consciously air out your complaints, even those you know you can’t control, once it’s out, it can transform into a prayer or into action. And even me, who is hopelessly optimistic even in the worst of circumstances, can give voice to my complaints. But when the complaining is done, as my mother-in-law reminds me, we can find beauty and peace if we look through the eyes of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving. May your day be peaceful and productive. |
Paulette Sun Davis
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