Margins Magazine - Volume 3 Issue 1

MARGINS
MARGINS
GRATITUDE: A BEACON
OF LIGHT
By Courtenie Merriman
If we can all agree on anything it is that
2020 has been THE poster child for change.
Month to month it seems like we get deeper
into situations that are all equal parts horrifying,
dramatic and mysterious. With half of the year
feeling like a blur, it is often hard for us to
remember to take a moment to be grateful. I
know being grateful for 2020 does seem strange
but truly this year has set a precedent moving
forward that has made one thing clear - things are
going to change... the way we interact henceforth,
the things we value, the things we think are
important and the things we forget are important.
With everything happening in these scary times,
gratitude is the beacon of light we can create for
ourselves.
Gratitude. The act of thankfulness or gratefulness.
It's more than giving your friend appreciation
for treating you to some good eats or in the
COVID-19 era, thanking them for dropping off
some sanitizer at your doorstep. Gratitude is a
mindset, a state of being that allows for one to
tune into themselves. Often, many of us feel
guilty to be happy for ourselves and instead find
more comfort in beating ourselves down and
calling up our friends to have ironically miserable
pity parties. This type of behaviour does so much
more damage than we are aware of. It allows for
our default reaction to challenges to be solely
negative and acts as a nesting ground for stress
and anxiety. It allows for bad times to seem like a
zero-sum and end-all tragedy.
While we should allow ourselves to feel all of
our emotions deeply and clearly, we should never
make the mistake of wallowing in our sorrows.
Instead we can let go (accept and bless) situations
that are above us and understand that we do not
have the power to control all aspects of life. By
beginning to take the energy previously focused
on things out of our control, we can redirect that
energy to start appreciating and being grateful for
things we do have control over such as how we
react to situations. Also, it is key to understand
that by no means is gratitude fake positivity rooted
in thinking you’re better than people. Gratitude is
seen as one of the highest vibrational energies we
can achieve. With benefits physically, emotionally
and mentally, it reconnects us to ourselves and
others.
There are many ways to express gratitude. The
first to me is the most simple; saying thank you.
With everything happening, we might forget that
there are things to be thankful for, but without our
frontline workers in the departments of health,
transportation, food and sales these times may
have been more difficult and depressing. So, the
next time you see or interact with a frontline
worker, express gratitude for them and thank
them, it will make the both of you feel better.
The second method is quite popular - the use of a
Gratitude Journal. This is ideal for early mornings
or late nights, right when you wake up or before
you go to sleep, in order to document things you
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Visual Credits: Sincerely Media