Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty sort of person? I can be a bit of both, depending on the circumstances and how badly things are going! As I write this the end of the year is drawing closer; by the time you read it, the new year will have begun. 2022 wasn’t the easiest of years for me, there was a fair amount of time where my glass felt almost drained: work has been tough, I’ve had a few health issues and national and world events have caused despair. Like most of us, the bulk of my days have been filled with humdrum and the normality of routine. Thankfully there have been the occasional spots of joy when my glass was filled right up – mostly connected to our new puppy Maggie! As I look forward, I have some big changes happening in 2023 that will be both exciting and terrifying. There will be moments to choose how I view my glass. As I spend time reflecting, I’m drawn to the idea of gratefulness, and I have this song humming around my head: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtV2wmdZoqo.
I don’t know where I first heard it, it’s a bit of a golden oldie but the words are worth thinking about. This is the first verse:
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.
There is something about naming the good stuff, the little moments of joy, the blessings if you choose to call them that, that makes them more real. It’s so easy to ignore the first blooms of a snowdrop, that moment of peace with a good cup of tea or when the car starts first time! I’m not saying noticing the little things takes away our struggles – if only! But it might change our perspective on our glass, just for a moment, and those moments add up. So, this is my promise to myself this year, my challenge for 2023: to count my blessings and make a point of noticing and being grateful for the many good things in my life particularly when the storms come, as I know they inevitably will. Do you want to join me?