I grew up about a mile from the ocean. Not the always sunny, tropical, palm trees in my backyard type of ocean. Rather the New England, the water is always cold until August ocean. But still,
I grew up near the beach.
A good part of my childhood summers were spent playing in the sand, and racing with my sisters to prove who was daring enough to dunk first in the icy salt water. There’s something about growing up near the ocean that gets inside you. Even, I would say, becomes a part of you. And yet, growing up, I took it for granted.
In high school, I spent most of my summers working. Weeks and even months would go by without so much as a visit. In college, I worked at a day camp. So trips to the beach looked like leading a long line of twenty, first graders down for swimming lessons. In my mind the ocean wasn’t going anywhere, so it could wait. But what I didn’t realize at the time, was that I was going somewhere.
“We’re a nation hungry for more joy: because we’re starving from a lack of gratitude.” –Brene Brown
For over fourteen years now, I have lived in a landlocked state. My trips home to see family are only a couple of times a year, and my visits to the ocean are few. Though I don’t regret the decisions I’ve made that have lead me here, I can tell you there is this sense that I didn’t know what I had until it was gone. This experience has challenged me at times to ask,
“What am I taking for granted?”
Because we all have at least a few truly great things in our lives that we’ve grown to expect. When in reality, they’re not a given—they’re not things we’ve earned or things everyone gets just for being human. For every kid like me who grew up near the ocean, a million more didn’t. More true—for every kid like me whose mom didn’t buy her sugary cereals, millions more went hungry. And right now, even if we’re going through difficult times,
We have so much to be grateful for.
Only, like my teenage self thinking I’d always be near the ocean, we can’t see it. We can’t fully see all we really do have because our brains seem to be trained to focus on all we don’t. Brene Brown says, “We’re a nation hungry for more joy: because we’re starving from a lack of gratitude.”
We don’t know what we have.
At the same time, the statistics for people in our country suffering from anxiety are staggering. This study, said that it is estimated that thirty percent of our population struggles with symptoms of anxiety. Thirty percent. The people I love who are effected by this, seems to be growing by the day. Or, perhaps, I am just paying more attention. But, do you want to hear something interesting?
Gratitude has an important role to play in our struggles with anxiety. In fact, some call it the antidote to anxiety and stress. In other words, taking time daily to notice and be thankful for all we have, can ward off our anxious thoughts.* Not only that, but it can retrain our brains to focus on the good in our lives.
One of my favorite things to do, is listen to podcasts. Some of the best ones involve interviews with highly successful people who are doing meaningful work. And my favorite part of these interviews is in hearing about their daily routines. Do you know how almost all of them begin their day? With a practice of gratitude. No matter what their religious background, they take time to be grateful for what they have.
On her podcast, New York Times’ Best Seller, Rachel Hollis, shared the top ways she has overcome what she describes as debilitating anxiety (see episode 29). Practicing gratitude every morning is one of them. There is a link between growing our awareness for all the good in our lives, and experiencing inner peace.
As we begin to close out September, one of the ways we need to step back in our lives, is in practicing gratitude. All of us have “oceans” in our lives that we are overlooking. Things we think will always be available to us—when they may not. Let’s begin this week by appreciating these things. Let’s begin with gratitude.
When was the last time you practiced gratitude?
What are five things you are thankful for, today?
*For many of us, practicing gratitude will only be a piece of the puzzle to overcoming our anxiety. Please don’t hesitate to get the help you need—from people you trust, good counselors, or even doctors.
Are you in the midst of making a hard decision? Contemplating a big life change? If so, you may be interested in my FREE Making Changes Checklist that I give to all my email friends. Want your free copy? subscribe here.
I left a landlocked state for the ocean, but I surprisingly gave up thunderstorms and lightning bugs! While my anxiety also exists in my brain chemistry, you’re totally right that gratitude is a helpful tool in managing it. We are all- in various ways- so rich in blessings. If we could only bask in thankfulness instead of swimming in worry, there could be more balance in our lives.
You’re so right, Malinda. I think that is why people call it a “gratitude practice”–it is something we have to practice because it doesn’t come easily.
Two of my favorite verses that I go back to time and again are Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (emphasis mine). I really believe, with you, that thanksgiving is key.
That is one of my favorite verses too, Heather!
It’s so true that it’s hard to remember to be grateful for what we have, especially if we haven’t ever known anything different. I think one way to help us increase awareness is by learning from and spending time with people who have had very different life experiences than we have. This is something I’ve delved into a lot in the last couple years that increases my gratitude for things I had take for granted before. That said, I do still struggle with anxiety, and it’s not always something I can deal with rationally and get results. I do need to make gratitude more of a regular practice!
It is so important to open ourselves up to the stories and lives of others, Lindsey. I agree it gives us a perspective that we can’t have when we live in a bubble. Thanks for sharing.