Sharing our Gratitude
It’s the time of year when you’ll hear and read social media and blog post of things we are grateful for. I have to ask myself why is it we only post these at Thanksgiving, why don’t we post year around?
The truth is, all of us could benefit from expressing our gratitude more often – myself included.
Thinking about a gratitude list, I there are WAY over 10 items to add to my list. There are items that can be listed in a variety of categories including personal, professional, business, creative and many others.
Instead of publishing 100 things I’m grateful for, I’ve chosen 10 items from a variety of categories. I know this is a business and professional blog, but in order to be in business and in order to grow professionally, some of the personal has to come out as well.
Without further ado, here are some of my Top 10’s, in no particular order.
Family
I miss my parents a great deal and I often stop and think about how much I appreciate being their daughter and how much they have contributed to my life.
It goes far beyond taking care of and encouraging me as a child. It includes the confidence they had in me that I could do anything I wanted in life.
In this category, I must include my son and my partner. Lots of love and giving and going around here.
Nursing
How many times over the years have I thought I wanted to do something else!? It’s been plenty, believe me. Yet nursing goes far beyond what my mother used to say (“You’ll always have a job”) – it’s really, you’ll always have a career, a passion for the next step.
I believe the current statistics say that those coming into the work force will change career paths an average of 8 times before reaching the end of their work life. I’ve been in nursing for over 30 years and like many of you, have had several career paths.
Business
It’s impossible not include a business path here, both as a new career and as an extension of nursing.
Going into business for myself has been both exhilarating and at times a frustrating experience. Quite frankly, I could never invasion anything else at this point. It’s been a gift beyond measure.
Technology
I love how technology has enriched my life. I’ve always loved it, but never could have seen what we have today. At the risk of “dating” myself, when I was a child, I would literally sleep with the World Book Encyclopedia Science Yearbook and imagine all sorts of wonderment with computers that took up rooms!
Today, I can search and find the information I am looking for in mere moments. I carry around a small computer with a myriad of apps that is smaller than my hand and talk face to face with my son who is across an ocean.
I cannot wait to see what the next 100 years has to offer!
My patients and clients
I learn from you every single day. I learn what I do that is good, and I learn where I have made some mistakes. I learn that I have made a difference in your lives, and I profoundly understand that you have made a difference in mine.
My mentors
My parents were my first mentors, but I’ve had so many more.
My colleagues who have selflessly “schooled” me on various things, held my hand as I stretched out professionally, listened to me express my own self-doubts and give me the nudging that I need from time to time.
Some of my mentors don’t even know me, as they have been mentors from afar. We all have mentors – close to us, or virtually. Thank you all.
My country
I had to think about this. There is a large part of my family, who historically was not happy (and at times still not happy) how they are treated in this country.
As American, we do not always treat other Americans with kindness and respect. That said, I am grateful to live in a country where I can make choices about my life and what I want to do with it.
I am grateful that as a woman in the USA, I count. I am not sold, mutilated or thrown out with the trash. One of my greatest wishes is that women everywhere are respected and treated appropriately.
Education
I love to learn. I always have and always will. Early on, the one explicit instruction from my father was that all of us kids get an education. Easy…I was the kid who could not wait to start school.
There are so many opportunities to learn that go far beyond 4 walls and degrees. Technology has enabled all of us to have access to almost anything that we want to learn. If you want to learn, all you need to do is seek.
Health
I work with people who have a myriad of chronic and painful conditions. I am grateful every day for my health and for the lessons my patients teach me about being healthy.
Could I do better? Absolutely. Could all of us? Absolutely. Health needs to be at the top or near the top of any of our lists…without it everything becomes difficult.
All to often I am reminded that if we don’t make time for health, illness will make time for us!
Nature
There are many places in this world that are beautiful. I get to live in one of them.
Yeah, I complain about the rain at times, but I think I’d be hard pressed to find a greener place. When I am surrounded by peaceful beauty, it seeps inside of me and creates a calm inner peace.
When I am privileged to witness the rising and setting sun, the swoop of an eagle, the strength of the waves crashing against the rocks or the majestic bull elk in the forest clearing, I am experiencing the magic of nature, the magic of our earth. And don’t forget, when the sun shines here, the air sparkles. Yep, it’s magic and it’s where creativity starts.
Everything
I am grateful for everything. If all the above (and more) were not true, I would not be writing this post. I would not have had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of my patients, my colleagues, my family and my friends.
Thank you for this opportunity to share.
Photo Credit: Barbara C Phillips
YOUR TURN…
What are the top “things” you are grateful for?