My thoughts have dwelt a great deal upon the power of gratitude in any situation since we have come to Hungary. For some reason, whenever my thoughts start drifting off into self-pity, it seems like most of the time a barrage of positive thoughts and reasons to be grateful. (There are always the moments where I wallow, of course, but for the most part, it has been an interesting phenomenon.)
This thought has crossed with another thought I have had...the miracle and wonder that each life is! As I look at the blogs of friends and family and ask about the lives of those I haven't been in touch with as much or don't hear from so much, I hear so often the same general statement: "Oh, you know. The same thing pretty much every day."
It reminds me of a statement towards the beginning of the most recent Joseph Smith film ("Prophet of the Restoration"), made in the voice of his mother: "There is nothing remarkable about the early life of Joseph...we basically just lived." My thought last time I watched it was: But what was that like?"
So often we fail to see the wonder of our lives...the lives we live every day. We fail to see what makes it different, unique, and marvelous.
This morning, for devotional, we watched the following short clip on the Mormon channel, that went right along with this thought:
Thanksgiving Daily
I read a book, another personal classic that I brought, called "The Seven Wonders of Sassafrass Springs." It is a beautifully written, relatively short youth fiction about a young boy obsessed with the wonders of the world. His dream is to visit them...or at least something away from his little town of Sassafrass Springs. His father challenges him to find seven wonders in Sassafrass Springs in 7 days, and promises that he will send his son to Colorado to visit a relative if he can.
The book unfolds wonderfully, as this young man discovers the wonder in the world around him.
I wish everyone could see the wonder that is their life. I wish they would share it more, like all the women that I have spoken with over the years, encouraging them to share their testimonies, their lives, their personal experiences that seem mundane to them, but can be so uplifting, inspiring, and unique to others.
I think the first step to seeing the wonders that make up our daily, "mundane" existence is cultivating what President Monson calls "an attitude of gratitude."
After watching the above short clip, the Goob remembered another one, wherein random people on the streets of New York City share a variety of
grateful responses to one simple question: What are you thankful for? It is short, but full of sincerity, humor, and humanity...my favorite kind of thing!
In the Spirit of Thanksgiving
So do it! Share the wonder that is your life with others! Sometimes, it is through the sharing of something seemingly "un-wonderful" that you discover just how awesomely unique, special, and worth sharing your life is!
(Side note: I loved looking at the intensity of the people's eyes as they shared their feelings...wanting someone to really listen. So cool!)
Maybe that question, "What's new?" is similar to "How are you doing?" We quickly weigh in our minds whether that person really wants to know the truth of it all. "Same old" or "Fine" are easier than diving in. A good challenge to think about.
ReplyDeleteHere is my seemingly "mundane" day that is certainly a wonder to others: got up, worked, brushed my teeth, worked, ate breakfast, worked, got dressed, worked, put my contacts in, worked, ate lunch, worked, ran, worked, showered, ate dinner, lost geoquiz, checked blogs...
ReplyDeleteDetails, darling! Details!...although the geoquiz is a good place to start :).
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