I don’t even know where to begin. It seems as though so much has transpired over the last couple weeks. I am happy to report, from the comfort of my inflatable mattress sitting in the living room that State of Gratitude has moved from Orlando, FL south to Miami, Florida. It’s new permanent home.
Because, when one door closes, another one opens, except this one has opened into a Tropical Storm/Hurricane currently dropping pounds of rain on Miami. But hey, it is what it is. I just snuggle up in my hoodie and chill to some obscure Netflix films (the rest have already been watched due to the pandemic).
I have heard of the jail cell prayers, the ones where you plead to God asking for forgiveness, and promising to never get back in a dangerous situation which lands you arrested, as long as he finds a way to get you out of trouble. How many times have these prayers worked? Well in my opinion, the prayer is never answered in the way that I had initially intended… my life was spared. That was my miracle in most of these scenarios. It look me a long time though to realize that my prayers were being answered just not in the obvious ways I had wanted.
This leads me to think about all the gratitude that I have currently in my life, and how I have been able to accomplish so many things in the past few months since State of Gratitude’s inception. To think that we started with just three classic colored tees and now we have hats, hoodies, seasonal tees, notebooks, bags, phone cases, beanies, etc. I have been able to move myself into my own apartment, and rejoin my previously paused in person yoga practice.
With all the blessings, it is important to remain strong and vigilant with the program that got me to this point. This is a time when I find myself drifting into other practices, thinking that I no longer need to go to meetings as often. Or, that I can finally reward myself with X, Y, or Z. Promises are fulfilled in my every day life just as long as I remain humble, open, and teachable. This past couple weeks, while they have been a very busy time with family and transitions. Knowing when it is time to come back to the basics is important. It’s more than important it is essential. Gratitude lists may seem redundant and unnecessary, then get a new journal and start fresh. The gym may seem like an unnecessary thing to do because of the lack of people to show off that gym body, but do it for yourself. “Exercise releases endorphins, Endorphins make people happy, Happy People don’t just shoot their husbands (Credit : Elle Woods, Legally Blonde).”
But most importantly, I have learned that just because I am doing something different, it doesn’t mean that the world needs to stop and acknowledge me. Today, I look after myself first. Because, if I am not sane how am I supposed to help others? And if I am constantly seeking the approval of others to validate or justify my decisions, then I will be waiting for a very long time or I may never find what I am looking for. If moved to Miami, thinking that everything was just going to be bright, peachy, and beautiful from the start then I would be truly disappointed at my arrival to city drenched in rain, with yet again no where to go, and an inflatable mattress in my living room serving as a couch. But hey, all the good things in this life take time and everything is a process. Instant gratification is not gratifying in the long run. And that’s why when you place an order on the site it takes a week to receive it (unless you pay for priority, then maybe 2-3 days max). Just kidding. Kinda. Sort of.
Irregardless…. (Credit : Gretchen Weiners, Mean Girls).
Today, I chose to live in a State of Gratitude. Let’s be kind to each other.