Episode 21: If I’m honest, I think it took a global crisis for us to have the opportunity, and the physical time, to truly have the opportunity to think about what we have to be grateful for - even during a time of crisis. Covid-19 is a scary time - Covid-19 is a time where gratitude is needed more than ever.

It starts small, with realizing that we are all in the same position of not knowing what is coming next. It’s a scary time for sure, and it makes it difficult to feel appreciative. When she passed this topic on to me, and I found that I was struggling with it - I started to write down some of the things that I’m grateful for that were outside of my physical well-being and health. It started with a simple piece of paper and pen, and you know what, it changed my perspective - gratitude during a crisis isn’t only helpful to yourself and those around you, but it is essential.

It is exactly under crisis situations or conditions that gratitude shines the brightest. In the face of despair, gratitude has the power to bring hope - something we’re all craving right now.

I realized while making this list that there is an important distinction with feeling grateful and being grateful. For instance, my emotions are crazy sometimes. Like I mentioned before, my anxiety takes over my body - I have no control over my feelings or emotions because they appear naturally. It’s like forcing a friend to be happy when they’re feeling sad - it’s a difficult task to do. We cannot easily will ourselves to feeeelllll grateful, less sad, or more happy. Feelings travel from point A to point B through internal transit systems.

But being grateful is a choice we can make. An intentional practice that ultimately doesn’t change with the ups and downs, or gains or losses that flow in or out of our lives. When disaster or a crisis strikes, gratitude provides a perspective from which we can begin to view life in its entirety and not be overwhelmed by temporary circumstances.