In any given moment, we can choose to see perfection or imperfection.

They are just different ways of seeing the same thing, although we think of them as opposite ends of a spectrum.

Even in the most terrifying or traumatizing situations, the truth is, we have a choice about where we put our focus.

If our heart is beating and our lungs are breathing then we have something to be thankful for.

Imagine designing your entire life with gratitude at the center.

No matter how things transpire or what challenges we face, we find a way to say “thank you, I’m grateful.”

Not just with our words but with our hearts.

Look around.

Magic and miracles are everywhere if we choose to see them—water at the turn of a faucet, cell phones that connect us to family and friends across the world in an instant, beds that cushion our sleep.

When every cell in our bodies genuinely feels grateful for what we’re experiencing, an undeniable shift takes place in our being.

Gratitude places focus on the beauty in life despite the sorrow, because of the sorrow.

As a result, our resilience to challenges deepens beyond what we could imagine.

The corners of our lips reach for our ears in a smile we didn’t know we were capable of expressing.

The people we meet and the friends we keep soak in our gratitude. We find that people will go out of their way to help and support us because they are drawn to our heart.

So, let’s open our ears and be grateful for our sight. Let’s take a deep breath and fall in love with our lungs. Let’s speak words of kindness and be thankful for having a voice in this world.

There is so much to be grateful for.

But it is up to us to find gratitude and choose to design our lives around it.

~

Relephant read: 

When Gratitude Eludes you, Try this.

~

Author: Mandana (Mandy) Budare

Editor: Khara-Jade Warren

Image: Shannon Kringen/ Flickr