The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest Light to all the world.
Ann Voskamp
Are we brave enough to travel on this journey – a journey focused on finding the good, the beautiful, and the true? And why is it that a path seemingly good requires us to be brave?
Once upon a time, responding to negative information was a survival mechanism. “Because negative information causes a surge in activity in a critical information processing area of the brain, our behaviors and attitudes tend to be shaped more powerfully by bad news, experiences, and information.” (verywellmind.com) In other words, our brains are hard-wired to respond faster to negative input than positive. It was and is a means of self-preservation.
In addition, we are creatures of habit and often prefer to stay in the known, even when the known is negative, over making a change into the unknown. One of the reasons so many people stay in jobs they are unhappy with is fear of the unknown around change. “I wouldn’t know what to do if I left this job. This is what I know how to do.” For many of us, it is more comfortable to sit with the hard known than to step out into the unknown.
Self-preservation and fear often keep us in negative but familiar places. So, can we be brave enough to live a life that leads to Gratitude?
Once we can find ourselves brave enough to focus on the good, beautiful, and true, can we then learn to give thanks and find joy in the here and now? And, what if the here and now feels anything but joyful?
It is easy to give thanks for the good things when life feels good, but how do we notice and give thanks when the good is difficult to find? The short answer, Practice.
In her book, One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp says, “all hard things come in due time and with practice.” The truth is, change does not happen overnight because we will it to do so, and real change requires intentionality and practice. Creating habits, routines, or practices of noticing all that is good, beautiful, and true over time makes a positive change in how we engage with the world, and live a life of Gratitude.
Over the years, during November as a family, we have tried different ways of noticing and giving thanks. We have had thanksgiving trees, where we wrote things we were thankful for on paper leaves and hung them on our tree. We have counted our blessings and named them on popsicle sticks in a mason jar. This year we are gathering images, each day attempting to notice and capture a picture of something good, beautiful, and true and text it to each other—this idea, inspired by my friend Sarah Westfall and her Instagram Challenge #liturgyofthelittlethings.
Focusing on all that is good is a beautiful gift not just for ourselves, but a gift we can give to others. As we learn to live a life of gratitude, noticing, and giving thanks, we also become change agents. By living our ordinary everyday lives well, with gratitude, we can be people who can bring Light into the world around us and help others learn to see beauty even in dark places.
Imagine how we might change the world simply by living a life focused on all that is good, beautiful, and true. A life full of thanks and giving, bringing the fullest of Light into the world.
Are we ready to change the world for the better?
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the church in Philippi.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
If you are looking for a way to notice all that is good, beautiful, and true, a way to practice Gratitude in the ordinary every day, click here for a downloadable copy of our November Family Gratitude Challenge.
