I love to go outside of my home. I go to the gym to exercise. I go to a coffee shop to sit and write or grade. I go to a bookstore to discover the new books that are recent along with new books on sale. I go to a mall to just “window shop.” With my family, we go to Disneyland for a few hours at a time. I love going to church, Mosaic, and surround myself with my second family. I love going to movie theaters and theaters with plays and musicals. I love to explore places I have not visited in Los Angeles like museums, beaches, restaurants and malls and I love traveling outside of Los Angeles and exploring new places. I actually enjoy open houses during the time of looking to buy a house. I really love being with my friends no matter where we go. In the past two weeks, I have discovered how to appreciate my home, the Internet, and a trip to the grocery store so much more.
Fear can override an attitude of gratitude because it cripples us when life becomes difficult. We don’t see the good surrounding us. We don’t see what we have. Fear focuses on what we lack and begins to lead us to what is easy instead of what we need to do, which could be difficult. It’s hard to be grateful in a time that is uncertain, but I have discovered that it is the only way I will thrive during this time of quarantine and what sometimes feels like isolation. I don’t just want to survive this quarantine. I want to thrive. I want to achieve the goals that I have set for myself for the year. This time of interruption just might give me the time that I so desperately need to achieve those goals. There are a few habits that I have to practice in order to have gratefulness and thrive and some habits that I have to quit.
When we are thankful, we use all our resources with wisdom. Time can be a valuable resource that can be tempting to waste during this quarantine. Some people may be gaining more fears and fretting during this time, but we need to use this resource of time with protection and During this time of quarantine, one way to be grateful is to allow the time that we have to be used wisely and to engage in activities that we have neglected. It can be used to reach out to people through the Internet or the phone that we have neglected contacting because we claim we have the lack of time. This large amount of time has been given to us. It is up to us how we use it if it is a blessing or a curse.
The biggest obstacle to an attitude of gratitude is an attitude of complaining. We’re all in this together and each individual has his or her own struggles through this time. We complain because that is an easy solution that requires no action from us. We deflect to what is easy before we begin to resolve our problems. Resolving our problems takes work and good use of time. Complaining does not take any work and it wastes time. It is easy to wallow in our grief rather than to pick up and begin to do what is needed. I have done my fair share of complaining in life. It’s a bad habit. It’s a bad habit that does not show gratitude for what is good about the situation or about life. I am learning to lean on God with life issues that I cannot control and not complain, and to resolve to do what I can control. Giving up the habit of complaining shows gratitude to God.
I have to start cleaning. In the physical sense, I have to clean and organize my room, since I have to live in it and spend more time in it during this quarantine, but cleaning goes beyond the physical sense. I did take time to clean my desk so that I can Zoom my students for teaching. Now, I have to clean with details. I have to clean my soul from unhealthy thoughts that I am not good enough or that I do not have enough of good things in the world. I have to clean sin from my life that has held me back from doing what God has called me to do. Cleaning can be done from the inside out during this time.
Blaming others deflects gratitude and reveals our resistance to change and adapt. I have spent many years of my life blaming others for what happened to me. There are incidents that other people caused. I still get to choose how I respond. Blaming others for what I don’t have does not get me what I need or desire. It only delays the process for me to begin to achieve what I need to do. I need to take responsibility for what I can control and for what I can do.
The most appropriate words that makes sense right now is from the cheesy musical, High School Musical, “We’re all in this together.” The difference between people will be those who choose to be grateful for what they have during this time and those who are ungrateful and choose to sit and wallow. The best advice comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Let us take this time to be grateful. We can write down one thing each day for which we are thankful. One of my planners has me do that daily, and it works! It has changed my attitude toward each day. Let us all take time to be thankful. In the end of all this, may we all be more grateful for the little things in life and live a life of gratitude and take for granted the small things that bring us joy in our lives.
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