There were times in the past that I climbed the steep heights of elation and then came crashing down to nothingness, that I was left feeling like a happiness junkie always in search of that elusive happy rush and when it wasn’t present I felt that everything was wrong with my world.
It took the conscious stepping back and trying to understand myself, trying to break down my issues, compartmentalize and address them one by one to grasp what was going on and how to deal with them.
The tendency was that if something was not right in one aspect of my life – for instance, shortage of finances, I would allow that to dictate how I felt about every other thing, thus missing the beautiful and little things that made my life better.
It’s taken years, soul searching and being in the moment to come to the point where I deal with issues as they are and not allow it/them to mar the rest of my joy.
As I sit writing this little note, I look back and I’m amazed at how the simple journey of journaling my gratitude and making the effort to discover myself inside this body of mine has helped me learn to live in the moment and to appreciate every bit of it.
I no longer seek the happiness rush from momentary elation, rather, I’m charting a steady course of contentment gained from living life itself.
I am thankful for journey mercies bestowed on my husband who returned last night from Toronto. For the great things and little things that I’ve been able to achieve, for the thoughts, inspirations, and imaginations that flood my mind, for vitality and the drive to stay focused and keep moving forward. These are not things that I could buy with money, but they are gifts that come from above.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
If you wish to participate in a gratitude challenge, there are several gratitude/thankful platforms in the blogosphere that you can tune into and get your ithankful going on. I can’t express in words the enormity of Joy and fulfillment that comes from having a heart of gratitude. Please check out Maria’s blog,Colline’s blog and Bernadette’s for thankful/gratitude challenges.
a cooking pot and twisted tales 
I understand what you mean. Since closing our store and settling in with a much quieter life style, I have some issues with wanting life to be more exciting as in the past when travelling overseas,or running a small business etc. Now I understand this is the first real break both of us have enjoyed since constantly being on the go.This December it will be one year since we closed our store and our life has slowed down. Sometimes I think my husband’s illness was God’s way of having us slow down. I am finally able to appreciate this time.
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Beautiful, thank you. Gratitude is so powerful and as you say it is often things money can’t buy.
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Gratitude is certainly a powerful thing. Thank you Ally 🙂
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Sending my thankfulness to you for all your support.
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So much to be grateful for. Really appreciate your sharing this. As humans we live for the next new thing forgetting the many blessings around us.
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Thank you for sharing your life lessons with us. I am grateful that I’ve met you in this wonderful community.
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What a lovely comment Robin. Thank you too and indeed I am truly grateful to have met friends like you.
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Thanks, Jacqueline!
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It’s all relative. A weekend at the beach is a lifetime for a fruit fly.
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“I no longer seek the happiness rush from momentary elation, rather, I’m charting a steady course of contentment gained from living life itself.”
Reading your words fill my heart with joy. thank you for this dear. ❤
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