A little reminder from the OG Buddha. (like Buddha himself)
- All life includes pain
- The source of all pain is the desire for something we lack
- The cure for pain is being grateful for what we have.
Yet another example – Yesterday going 80 MPH on the freeway to work, and with about 3 miles to the freeway exit, a horrible metal grinding sound exploded under the car – AND CONTINUED. I slowed down and steered the car to the side of the road. A quick glance under the car indicated that the front of the metal skid plate under the engine had broken free and the wind under the car was pressing it down to the pavement. With hazard lights flashing and (now) driving 20 MPH down the side of the freeway I was able to limp to the exit and park at the office. I had to dodge all of the debris in that lane as my skid plate was now acting like a little scoop trying to gather up all the miscellaneous junk along the way – ugh.
I really don’t like car problems (HATE).
You can see the little white wire (formerly clothes hanger) on both sides that is now my temporary fix to the broken skid plate (it still needs a proper repair). The skid plate is quite thick sheet metal (I couldn’t even bend it with pliers). I’m super thankful that it didn’t break free under the pressure of hitting a crack or something and cut/grind its way through the underside of my car creating more damage and problems – or even harm another vehicle.
So – not a good start to the day – and I was already tired/jet-lagged from > 24 hours of travel back from Madrid. But…
I asked a team member headed to the office to bring me a few wire hangers, pliers, and a hammer – and I was able to reattach the front of the skid plate until I could properly repair it.
As I thought about the problem – it didn’t take long to realize that what was a somewhat trivial problem for me… would have been a serious and potentially dangerous problem if my wife had been driving the car when the skid plate broke loose.
When the sound erupted below the car, she would have surely panicked (I did). But, she wouldn’t have been able to assess the situation enough to limp off the freeway and might have been parked/stranded on the narrow side of the freeway with trucks and cars zooming past at 80 MPH. She’s a Smart lady – but that’s just a dangerous place to sit waiting for help.
I AM CONVINCED that there is always a silver lining to our problems. It can ALWAYS be worse, and often, the little and big problems alter the future in a way that protects or blesses our life.
The simple thought process of considering gratitude immediately shifts us from anger, darkness, and hopelessness to happiness and positive thoughts.
I brought back Tibetan beads (mala) back from Nepal. When I wake up in the mornings, I put a string of beads around my neck as a daily reminder to surround myself with gratitude. From time to time I roll those beads through my fingers one by one and name 108 things I’m thankful for. It’s easy to think of 5 or 10 or 20… but getting to 108 requires deeper thinking about the good (and bad) that improve my life.
This is one of my favorite ‘mala.’ It’s jade stone from my first trip to Nepal with Brookie back in 2015 with Youthlink where we had the blessing to help a small village school with repairs and upgrades after the big earthquake … it’s double-wrapped around my mirror as another reminder to be grateful… I admit I need to focus on it a bit more than some of the other drivers/cars that kill my happiness vibe — after all, I enjoy the blessing of a (usually) safe, functional and cool car to help me get around.
In preparation for Thanksgiving, I’ll get you started…. I’m thankful for:
- This beautiful world – from the desert of Kuwait and Arizona to the mountains and the islands of the ocean. There is beauty in every grain of sand, leaf, tree, wave, and snowflake.
- The way that life flows and allows for learning, growth and purpose (I call it God’s great plan of Salvation)
- The creator who made all of this and life for all of us
- My sweet wife and her friendship, love and support
- My kids … one by one and my 2 beautiful granddaughters (thankful to be Papa)
- My parents and siblings … one by one for their love, commitment, and fidelity – we’re not often together, but I know they are always there for me
- A safe and comfortable place to sleep and live
- Food to strengthen and nourish my body
- A body to support my passions, adventures, and activities – being close to 60, I have plenty of worn-down parts, but everything (generally) still works
- Live in a place where I am (mostly) free to create/live my life however I want
- … Education, Employment, Friends,
You get the idea… stop for a moment and push yourself past the easy stuff. I find that I’m even thankful for the pains and problems as they have shaped me and my life into my beautiful, messy self.
So this Thanksgiving, let’s crank up the gratitude. It’s not just about turkey and pumpkin pie (though, let’s be real, they’re awesome too). It’s about flipping the script on our problems, finding the hidden blessings, and realizing that life – with all its ups and downs – is pretty darn amazing.
Happy Thanksgiving, folks. May your hearts be as full as your plates!