Counting Blessings Amidst the Wreckage: Practicing Gratitude In These Shifting Times

Summary

The author reflects on practicing gratitude and personal growth amidst challenging times, emphasizing the importance of health, healing, and community support.

Abstract

In the face of adversity and societal shifts, the author advocates for a perspective of gratitude, focusing on the positive aspects of life such as being housed, loved, and working towards one's purpose. The text underscores the significance of personal responsibility for health and the interconnectedness of individuals within society. It suggests that the current global situation serves as a catalyst for introspection and re-evaluation of life choices, questioning the sustainability of a capitalist model that prioritizes productivity over well-being. The author acknowledges the journey toward a healthier society will be gradual, involving the collective effort to vibrate higher and show up as our best selves. The narrative weaves in the importance of holistic health practices, conscious living, and the impact of our choices on both individual and collective healing.

Opinions

The author believes in the power of positive storytelling and self-affirmation as tools for resilience.
There is a critical view of capitalism, with the author suggesting that the pandemic has highlighted the need for a more equitable and health-conscious societal model.
The author expresses that health is a multifaceted concept, encompassing not just physical well-being but also mental health, the company one keeps, and lifestyle choices.
The text implies that personal healing and empowerment are closely tied to the broader goal of societal transformation.
The author values the role of intuition and the continuous opportunity to trust and tune into one's inner guidance.
There is an emphasis on the importance of community and collective action in achieving a more harmonious and equitable world.
The author cites several works, indicating a belief in the value of literature and research in the pursuit of holistic health and societal change.

Counting Blessings Amidst the Wreckage: Practicing Gratitude In These Shifting Times

(Photo by author, street art seen in Berkeley, CA)

There are always multiple ways to spin a story. So I try not to dwell on the version of the story that doesn’t flatter me, that doesn’t help me voice my power, my potential, and my strengths. Even on the difficult days, when I am single parenting, run down, stressed, tired, and trying to juggle different projects at the same time, I need to remind myself: I am housed, I am loved, I am healing, and I am working toward my life’s purpose. I am lucky to be the parent of a bright, healthy, and happy child. I am lucky I am financially free. I am lucky that even if my health is not perfect, I am equipped with the knowledge to help optimize my health and to keep finding and working toward healing and wellness.

I am lucky that even if I have not always trusted my intuition, I am still presented with the opportunity to continue to tune in and trust. The destructiveness, isolation, and instability of these times is, in itself, not something in particular to be grateful for. Yet, the chance it is giving us all to turn inwards and to re-evaluate our lives, and the reminder it gives us that we are both radically responsible for our own health and profoundly interconnected to each other, serves as a wake-up call we must heed.

“Coronavirus is the virus; capitalism is the pandemic.” This is a meme I am sure many of you have seen. You may or may not agree with the sentiment, but likely, the state of the world has you questioning this model of capitalism with its unceasing demands, that places value on productivity and material wealth over sanity and health.

It was not an overnight journey that made us as humanity so out of whack, so it will not be an overnight journey to rebuild a healthier society or new, more equitable systems. All we can do is to continue to vibrate higher, to work to show up as our best selves and do the work to support ourselves and each other.

I have many regrets, but dwelling in regret does not serve me. So I must focus on the gratitude, on the work to grow my advocacy and holistic health practice; and in this way, I will continue to find healing and help empower others in their own healing and wellness journeys. Just as happiness is a choice, so is health. Doing what is right or best may not be easy but it is the only way to live a life that helps to feed your soul hunger, to give your life the richness and meaning that you long for. So I continue to show up and do the work.

And in my journey to find gratitude and to find healing and holistic health, I have learned to shed mindsets and behaviors that no longer serve me. I have learned to be conscious of the foods, behaviors, and information I take in and surround myself with. I have learned that health is not just about what you eat, but the people you surround yourself with, the way you live your life, the beliefs you have about yourself. We must consider the whole picture to find the keys to healing. While it is true that your DNA may make you more predisposed to certain conditions, it is also true that the foods and medicines you consume and the lifestyle you lead can have an epigenetic impact and gear your body and soul toward optimal health. That is what I am working toward.

It is only with our collective work that we can move away from the “dominator culture” (see The Chalice and the Blade) and to a more equitable, harmonious, feminine and connected way of living, with ourselves, with each other, and with the world.

Eisler, Riane. (1987). The Chalice and the Blade. New World Library.

Merry Jane. (2021). The CBD Solution: How Cannabis, CBD, and Other Plant Allies Can Change Your Everyday Life. Lauren Wilson, ed. Chronicle Books: San Francisco.

Pollan, M. (2018). How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/529343/how-to-change-your-mind-by-michael-pollan/

Rediger, Jeffrey, MD. (2020). Cured: Strengthen Your Immune System and Heal Your Life. Flatiron Books: New York.

Rosenthal, Joshua. (2007). Integrative Nutrition: Feed Your Hunger for Health & Happiness. Integrative Nutrition Publishing: New York.