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Are you seeking a more gratifying life; where the grass is truly "greener"? Does it seem that despite your desire, it feels that you are in a slump, stuck and bogged down in a negative place; thinking of all that your life is lacking? Does it ever feel that your bank account, your weight, your home, your career or maybe some of your relationships simply are not where you thought they would be at this point in your life; or better yet, when you look at the Jones', co-workers, friends or relatives do they seem to have it all together? Do you find yourself saying "why isn't my life more fulfilling?"
Naya Powell
"As a coach, my goal is to empower my clients to holistically experience freedom, engage their passions, accomplish their goals and maximize their unique gifts to achieve a balanced and purposeful life!"
Holistic Coach & Executive Director
Utopia Living/Spa Utopia, LLC
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"The GREATNESS of Our Gratitude"
Many years ago while driving down the street, I saw a profound quote on a gas station sign that stated "All Unhappiness is caused by Comparison!". Now more than a decade later, that powerful statement still resides in my thoughts. It has become my personal barometer for when I find myself in a spirit of lack rather than gratitude.
On that evening in Silver Spring, Maryland, I found myself in an ah-ha moment. As I thought about this quote, I applied it to many aspects of my life. I also applied it to the areas that the media projects us to be most unsatisfied with. We are often flooded with a barrage of "get rich quick", "lose weight now" and celebrity imagery that has us on a quest for more, bigger and better. Within moments, I realized there was a lot of truth in that statement. The more we compare ourselves to the Jones', our cup seems to quickly shift from half full to half empty.
The paradox is that we each hold the power within our individual minds. In a mere moment, just as hitting a light switch, we can experience the reality of abundance and contentment versus lack and un-fulfillment. This is otherwise known as a paradigm shift which means to have a sudden change in perception, a sudden change in point of view, of how you see things. Hopefully, this change will be in the right direction.
In my travels to Rwanda, I experienced the ultimate paradigm shift. When I stepped off the plane onto the Rwandan soil, I had no idea of how enriched my life would be upon my departure. Rwanda's soil is not only rich due to the production of some of the world's finest tea and coffee farms, but it is also rich in a history of life after genocide, forgiveness, renewed love and restored relationships.
As I arrived with a group of 40 other missionaries from my church, I had such a flood of emotions. I knew this was a country of survival. While we were met by the vibrant sun and the warm friendly faces of our interpreters, I knew that many of them had endured tremendous loss of family members and loved ones only 12 years prior as a result of the Rwandan civil war.
As we drove through Kigali, the capital of Rwanda to transfer our money at the bank; I noticed the differences, but also the similarities. I observed the women and their babies, the families, the beauty salons with signs in English, the beautiful tropical landscape and at times new construction. At the same time, I noticed that many of the people in town didn't smile as much as Americans do, that there were men that boldly walked around with machine guns on their backs and several other men were driving motorcycles that were used as taxis. There was definitely an obvious level of poverty that greeted us in the form of a woman begging for money while holding her beautiful little baby.
Shortly after our 3 days of air travel, we departed from the downtown shopping district and continued on our 5 hour bumpy bus journey into the remote villages of Rwanda. I soon realized that vehicles are not the only luxuries we take for granted in America, but so are bathrooms and rest stops as we know them! Of course, my bladder prompted me to be the first on the bus to explore this reality.
From rich discussions, I learned fascinating stories from my interpreters and many people that lived in the villages. I saw first hand how people lived where there was no running water and many times chickens and goats co-habited with families in mud huts the size of my modest living room that they made with their bare hands.
I found that the beautiful people of Rwanda must believe in the power of GOD for the luxuries that we take for granted; such as clean water, rain for their crops, the ability to attend basic grade school, to read, to have basic human rights as women, healing for basic sicknesses such as diarrhea, insect repellant to prevent bug bites which can ultimately lead to malaria and then death have been denied them yet they continue to press forward. I gained such a new appreciation for living in America, a country where even if I couldn't read I could still make money bagging groceries, while some of our translators spoke 5 languages and were college educated yet once we left they didn't know how, where or when they would work again.
I learned to have a better spirit of gratitude for my home, my education, family, my health, my car, my businesses, my food, clothes and many freedoms. The fact is, we not only have enough food to eat that we are nation of obesity and waste, but we also have selections of cuisines and dining establishments while there are many Rwandans don't have enough for basic nourishment.
I sat and spoke to my interpreters in a church which had a dirt floor and mud brick walls while having a lunch break. Of course, there was no water or electricity however, this was considered a very wealthy church because it had an actual building versus a tarp. The reason why we ate here rather than outside was so we would not eat in front of starving children in the village that we did not have enough food to share with. During this time, Bernard (one of the translators) shared his amazement of my life. I was able to quickly see that he viewed me as fortunate, privileged and extremely blessed.
Bernard shared his awe that I was young, (his same age) and had an education, a relationship with God, my own home and the ability to make such a journey. As I learned more about Bernard's life, my perspective changed even more and my compassion for others grew exponentially.
While I was just carefree in middle school with the basic 14 year old stresses of wanting more freedom and managing my academic and social life, Bernard was a refugee bush soldier fighting in Uganda along side other Rwandan Tutsi refugees for their right to gain access back into their country of Rwanda. He also shared that he has since given his life to Christ and has given and asked for forgiveness for this violent period in his life. This was a man that had survived more than I could ever imagine. Additionally, Bernard had recently suffered the loss of 2 of his little girls, one of whom was sick and due to a lack means to seek medical attention; she died and his other little girl he believed was poisoned. I was amazed to feel the level of care, consideration and compassion for others in spite of all that he had lived through.
I could see that he allowed his life to make him better rather than bitter. After we sat and compared stories, I was able to have such a new lease on life. The irony is that before my trip, my home had a hole in the ceiling, my rental property needed work, my car needed over $3k worth of repairs, my laptop had crashed and I had frustration with family members and some friends. I had begun to turn my nose up to the very blessings God had given me. I found myself analyzing everything that was wrong instead what was right. It was difficult for me to recognize that there are many people in the world that can not even fathom having such luxuries and that it was blessing to have such concerns.
I have often had to challenge my thoughts in various areas of my personal and professional life. However, after my travels to Rwanda where people have very little resources and some have fewer family members due to the genocide; I realized that we have become distracted by the quest for wealth, material things and superficial comparisons. From my Rwandan brothers and sisters, I learned not only how rich in spirit, family, community and faith they are, but that I am too. I would be remised to mention what children the taught me; in the midst of their poverty they were content, happy to be alive and greeted me with joy and excitement each day. They only knew of their lives in their village, they had nothing to else to compare to. From this view I realized my cup is overflowing. I must say that once I started to focus on others and doing this good work, God's provision manifested and all my needs were met.
Since that experience, I challenge myself to practice gratitude every day in every area of my life. I am now able to say I thank you God for the home you have blessed me with for there are many that are homeless. Oftentimes, I find myself being mindful that I oversee 3 businesses; and while there are moments of stress and weariness; I often have to remember, I am blessed to have the vision, experience and accomplishment of 3 businesses under my belt. I am able to more easily forgive, I have become more patient. I am able to value my family even more than before.
God said let us have life and it have it more abundantly. Abundance first starts with our state of mind. I challenge you today to choose gratitude for the simple abundances such as life itself, your family, friends, health, the calming smell and sound of rain, to the beautiful sunset at dusk, or the baby that you saw that made you smile, to the melodies of the birds chirping in the morning or a sincere compliment received. We can be grateful for the opportunity to start tomorrow with a fresh slate to change things that you would like to improve in your life. Gratitude truly allows us to embrace the richness of our lives.
5 Simple Ways to Experience the "The GREATNESS of Your Gratitude":
1)Take 15 minutes of un-interrupted time to write everything that you can think of to be grateful for in your life. (Remember the greatest gift is life itself)
2)Journal at least 3 things that you are grateful daily
3)Share something that you are grateful for with a loved one.
4)Make it a point to stop comparing your self to others and truly appreciate who you are and what you DO have
5)Give of your self DAILY; give someone a sincere compliment, a smile, a hug, a ride, help with a bag of heavy groceries, an encouraging word, maybe even a dollar! You will soon realize how rich with life you truly are!
Did You Know?
1)Research shows people who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercise more regularly, report fewer physical symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and maintain greater optimism about the future.
2)"Now, through a recent movement called positive psychology, mental health professionals are taking a close look at how virtues such as gratitude can benefit our health", says Robert Emmons, a professor of psychology at the University of California Davis. "Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations," Emmons tells WebMD. "Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress," Emmons says.
3)Grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that researchers say boosts the immune system. "There are some very interesting studies linking optimism to better immune function," says Lisa Aspinwall, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Utah. source:
http://www.floridabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/0/be0c1e665510c72e85256f950058b14c?OpenDocument&NAVCLOSE
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Forward Thought...
"The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift and
not a right."
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."
- 1 Timothy 6:6-7
Contentment isn't getting what we want, but being satisfied with what we have.
"Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."
- Philippians 4:11
Reference: God's Little Instruction Book | |
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Naya Powell
Holistic Coach & Executive Director
Utopia Living/Spa Utopia, LLC
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