The pendulum affect

Ah, the pendulum affect - was in full force today.

On one swing you have the humble practice of gratitude. On the other swing you have an appalling display of the wobbles - which I will call - 'The complete lacking of any display of gratitude which results in potential high blood pressure syndrome'.

Today I was a pendulum!

I've considered revealing all. But I think I might just leave it with these clues (they are not excuses - honest!)

Worship at Church - swing.
Phone call from friend with a not so subtle backing down of enthusiasm for a movie date (which she requested) - swing.
Certificate of acknowledgment for an emergency services orientation course completed - swing.
Packed to the rafters shopping complex (no parking spaces) - swing.
Table offered to have lunch from family who saw I needed a seat - swing.
Arrogant sales assistant who overcharged and then had a 'whatever' attitude - swing.
Kris Kringle present successfully purchased (within budget) - swing.
Daughter with a bucket load of attitude (we were there for her, after all!!!) - swing.
Phone call from same friend with a renewed enthusiasm to meet for coffee / movie - swing.
Car blocking my driveway - swing.
Finished School reports - swing.

So far the pendulum is on a positive swing - so this is what I will give thanks for.

Being thankful and displaying gratitude is not a guarantee for a perfect day. Days will be filled with all sorts of challenges, frustrations, disappointments, stresses and packed shopping centres - filled with pushy, stressed out shoppers. However, I believe that the more I practice noticing and expressing thanks for the positive things in my life (be they big or small) then I will be in a better place to accept the disappointments.


After all - let's put those negative swings into perspective - hardly catastrophic right?

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them".
John. F. Kennedy