Yesterday, in the forest, I felt overcome by awe.
I was taking a walk through my favourite trail, which is something I love to do, and find myself doing most days. The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting golden beams in-between the vast evergreens lining my path. I came to a patch of maple and alder, which are my favourite trees as the earth is winding down this time of year. The light was brighter here, the forest floor strewn with leaves in shades of fiery red and gold.
It was here in this moment, gazing at the light beams, the ancient trees, the fallen leaves, that I was overcome with a deep sense of appreciation, gratitude, and wonder for the magic of it all. I felt gratitude towards Mother Earth for creating such beauty. I felt gratitude for this forest right outside my doorstep. I felt gratitude towards myself, for choosing to walk this path every day. I felt completely in awe of what was here, right now.
To be in awe of my present moment experience: this is my intention. To feel gratitude for what I already have. To celebrate what’s right in front of me. To fall in love with the sacred now. Because there’s already so much here. Our lives are spilling with abundance, our cups overflowing with an infinite amount to be thankful for. The opportunity to be a human on earth. The gift of this new day. A warm bed to sleep in each night. Clean drinking water. A body that allows so much. The beauty of nature that is visible all around, no matter where we are.
And yet, the mind so often focuses on what it is we are lacking. The empty space, the things we don’t have, our missing parts, the goals not accomplished. We could have 99/100 pieces, but the mind hyper-fixates on the one that’s missing. It’s funny how our brain works — how we can have so much, and yet, become numb to it all. How the abundance that once left us awe-struck, becomes normal, faded, old, invisible. When we obtain what we’re seeking, it’s onto the next. And that previous longing just vanishes, as if it were never there to begin with.
Our cup could be overflowing, but we’re likely too busy longing for someone else’s cup to even notice.
This phenomena is not unusual. In fact, studies show the brain becomes desensitized to what is consistent in our lives, no matter how exiting, shiny, or wonderful the thing may be. We could have the nicest house, the perfect relationship, our dream job. But overtime, the newness of these things will inevitably fade. Our mind once again becomes painfully aware of what it is we are missing. If we don’t actively practice gratitude for the goodness in our lives, what’s good will be overlooked. If we don’t actively celebrate our present circumstances, we risk forgetting what’s here all together.
Gratitude is a daily practice. A constant reminder to ourselves of all that we do have, all that we’re thankful for, all the abundance that’s already in existence. It’s a celebration of what’s here, now. And it feels so good to do. Practicing gratitude shifts our entire state of being. It rewires our brain from a place of lack, into a place of abundance. And the more we do it, the more this belief system becomes our default. It’s a habit that continues to nourish us the more often we practice.
I’ve had a gratitude practice on and off for many years. When I’m engaging in gratitude, life feels so much better. Everything is lighter, brighter, more beautiful - because I’m taking time each day to actively notice the good. But sometimes life gets in the way, and I fall out of gratitude. I forget to practice all together, and that becomes the normal. Slowly, the “negativity bias” that is our brain’s default begins to creep back in, along with the wants and needs and comparison and longing. Along with the lack and scarcity and feelings of incompleteness.
I’m setting the intention, right here and right now, to view life through the lens of gratitude once again. To intentionally celebrate the good every day. To consciously acknowledge the beauty all around me, because there is already so much here. This might be writing a list, appreciating things in my mind, or simply stopping to notice a little bit more. To notice the big things, the small things, the new things, the old things. To notice what I love, what I’m grateful for, what brings me joy. To notice the little things unique to each day, like a smile from a stranger or a particularly nice conversation. To notice the moments so easily overlooked. And to realize every moment is new; and to see each experience through the lens of a beginner’s mind.
Today, I invite you to cultivate a sense of gratitude, too. Take a moment to pause, reflect, and acknowledge all the good in your life. Look around, and drink in appreciation for this moment. For your aliveness, for your health, for the gift of a new day. You just might find yourself in a state of awe as you begin to see the abundance that’s all around, that’s always been here, that’s simply waiting to be noticed. To feel whole, we don’t need more things. We only need to celebrate what’s already here.
From my heart to yours, thank you for reading Hannah’s Haus. If you feel connected to my work, please let me know by tapping the heart to like the post, commenting with your thoughts below, and sharing this post with someone else who might enjoy it.