Gifts of Circumstance

The following is a post I made a year ago.  It must be something with the time of year that makes me think of these things again.  I have been thinking a lot lately about how blessed I am in many ways.  I recently saw an ad for kitchen cabinets and counters touting how "you can have the home of your dreams".  I have been thinking lately about what that actually looks like to different people in the world.  Much of what I have everyday would be considered by many in the world to be at the level of "home of my dreams".  I pray everyday that I don't take any of it for granted.  
September 3, 2017

Today I feel so blessed that the place I call home is not just for survival. It is not just a shelter from the weather. It is a place that I can surround with grass and flowers and trees. It is a place that I can move from one room to another and close a door for privacy if I want. It is a place that I can decorate and clean and re-organize. It is a place with indoor plumbing. It is a place where I can go open a cupboard or my fridge and choose what I want to eat. It is a place that has hot water on demand. I have a closet full of clothing to wear and various styles of shoes, and coats (plural, I have coats) to wear when it gets cold. I have bookshelves full of books, and music to fill the silence if I choose. I have a warm, comfortable bed to crawl into each night with more pillows than I really need. I have a car that is in great working condition. And so does my husband. And we have a third car that our son drives.

I could go on. I am blessed. By many people's standards I live a middle income life. But to many more people in the world, I look to live the life that is full of luxuries they can only imagine. I was blessed to be born in this country. I was blessed to be born to good parents. I was blessed that my parents were never financially in a situation to make us homeless. I was blessed to have access to education. I am blessed to live in a country where there is peace.

There is nothing that I did as a child that would have made these things so. These were gifts of circumstance. I have taken these gifts and built my life on them.

I hope that we can all be aware of how much where we are, what we have, and who we are depends on our gifts of circumstance. I hope that we are more understanding of those around us whose gifts of circumstance do not come so easily.

The Power of "YET"

At work we have been learning a new approach to teaching and disciplining and interacting with students referred to as conscious discipline.  One of the best things I am seeing implemented is called the power of "yet".  When a child/student is frustrated because they don't understand something or can't do something - we respond with "You can't do it "yet"." The permission that instantly gives a child to be ok with not knowing something right that moment is hard to explain.  The hope that gives them can be read in the subtle change of their facial expression and a deep exhale. They realize they still hold the power to accomplish the task ahead.  They just haven't "yet".

Knowing there are possibilities ahead and that we are not trapped in the present is a powerful thing.  It isn't just a good reminder for the kids I work with each day.  It is a great change of perspective for me everyday.  I can always be working toward those things I don't understand or am still trying to master.

The power of "yet" keeps me from beating myself up for things I have not conquered today.  It reminds me that I can be better tomorrow. It gives me incentive to dig in and try harder.

Because, who knows what I haven't accomplished "yet"?

Gratitude: The Best Perspective

I was inspired today by a blog post I read.  The woman writing it was looking at her kitchen from the perspective of gratitude. People had mentioned that she needed to remodel it after she had posted a picture of herself in the kitchen.  After she looked at it again she had a new appreciation for everything it had and the happy memories made in that kitchen.  I feel like it is time for me to start journaling again on a daily basis and gratitude has always been a great focus for me. I have SO much to be grateful for in my life. I need that to be the lens I look through to see the world each day.