Last week, I stepped outside to take our dog for a walk out first thing in the morning. The weather was supposed to be very hot and humid that day so getting a walk in was important to do as early as possible.
Stepping outside, one of the first views is that of our vegetable garden. Unfortunately, on that day there was something missing.
The fence that my husband put up was knocked down. The vegetables including string beans, peppers, watermelon, pumpkin, cucumbers, some of the tomatoes, and the beet leaves were just about gone.
The deer that visit our yard regularly had a feast fit for a king.
Needless to say, disappointment and discouragement came over me. To say the least, I ranted over the work that was lost and the fruits of our labor that would not be available for us to eat.
Even knowing that ranting wouldn’t fix the situation, that didn’t stop me from doing it for the better part of the morning.
Then, something happened.
A text came from a family member sharing that they had received some bad news.
Another private message came just a few minutes later asking for prayers for someone who was in a car accident. Another message came asking for prayers for someone who was just diagnosed with cancer. For the record, these messages come on a regular basis due to belonging to a prayer group.
My biggest problem at that moment was a half eaten vegetable garden. I was praying for people who only wished to have that for a problem.
Suddenly, my ranting stopped and gratitude took on a whole new meaning.
Was I grateful for a half eaten garden?
Yes, because it took my discouraged heart and turned it around.
Instead of being disappointed, my focus turned to others.
My focus was on offering support and prayers.
My focus thought of my family and how deep my love is for them.
My focus thought of a refrigerator still full of food even though the garden was just about gone.
My focus was happier, more peaceful, and full of joy.
It hurt to know of what others were facing, but with prayers, hope was still there.
My body was more relaxed, more at peace, and less anxious.
Let’s face it, there will always be disappointment and discouragement especially when you focus solely on them.
When something happens that throws you off like it did for me, take a few minutes to think of five things you are grateful for.
Keep a running list of those things to go back to when times get tough.
There is scientific evidence that being grateful is strongly associated with happiness, stronger relationships, improvement of sleep quality, improvement of cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure, and increased energy.
Charles Dickens once said, “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
Your body and your health will greatly benefit from your grateful heart.
Terri Trepanier is the owner of Balanced Care Health and Supplemental Insurance and a licensed insurance consultant and broker with Associated Brokers. Licensed in both Maine and NH, her specialty is working with small businesses, individuals, and families with their health and life insurance needs. She is certified to offer health plans both on and off the exchange and is contracted with every health insurance company that offers plans in both New Hampshire and Maine. Her other passion is assisting Medicare beneficiaries with their Medicare Supplemental, Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans, and Medicare Advantage plans. Terri has seen firsthand the importance of insurancCare is to “Insure Security and Peace of Mind One Family at a Time”.