What does it take to get to happy? To content? To enough?
Sitting on Sunday reviewing the Thanksgiving break I had this uneasy sense that I had wasted the four day weekend. I had made big plans for the work I’d get done. The books I would read. The family projects accomplished by the willing volunteers at home. You see I wake up with thoughts flooding my mind of action items. I only recently discovered from my children and husband that not everyone wakes up (sometimes in the middle of the night) with a list in their head. That I hadn’t gotten enough done, hadn’t finished the books, hadn’t finished enough of the work, was truly a fallacy in my brain. Yet I couldn’t shake this heavy feeling of failing to get enough done.
As part of my weekend reset to December I had to take down our Thanksgiving tree (see linked post). Normally I just rip it down. This time I took down the thanks one by one and ordered them in categories. I read each and everyone slowly. I paused to remember the person or circumstances behind the note. In 2020 the top thanks were focused on jobs, health, spouses (four of my kids are married), pets, friends, and everyday experiences like walking around the block, rain, and awesome dinners made at home. There were 132 gratitudes to read through. I counted them all. After reading each one I felt lighter and anchored to once again remembering that contentment and happiness weren’t in the number of things done but in the things I took the time to number. When I bothered to count it the total reminded me of the greater reality that more had been happening than my brain could recall.
I don’t know why I have to keep returning to this truth but writing things down whether gratitudes or what I want to accomplish helps direct my day. Writing reinforces my resistance to the random shiny new attention diverting object. Writing works to focus me on reviewing and reflecting on the gains rather than the gaps in my week. Writing helps with something as basic as counting my blessings.
So before we leave November why don’t you review with me this old hymn and do some counting yourself especially if you’re discouraged.
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your blessings; See what God hath done.
What does it take to get to happy? to content? To enough? Recognizing that in writing it down and counting we already have more than we realize.
What are you counting today?
Such uplifting and inspiring thoughts you wrote! Writing helps me think through issues and situations as well. Language creates and brings to the surface old thoughts and new ideas as well.
Thanks for the encouraging words. It means alot coming from a writer like you. Hugs