This is how I feel abt gratitude right now (a term that gets thrown arnd in a “fluffy” way) & I’m gonna tell you exactly why, below:
@barthel.kimberly & @bobspensley are 2 of the most giving & big-hearted ppl I know on this planet. I met them thru @theofleury14 & we’ve been fast friends since.
Kim travels the world as an OT w a focus on social/emotional learning & exercises. Her teachings have spanned across too many countries to count…& in Bob, she has a partner who just gets “it” – the big pic.
They set up a private Fbook group called: “Holding Space” that they invited me to. Since Covid began, they’ve been running global zoom chats w that group once a wk. Last session, over 200 participants joined, from 27 countries. If you look at stories, Bob had them all make the #SameHere sign & he captured one of the screen shots.
This group is for those who take care of others – therapists, peer to peer counselors, other OTs, advocates, social workers, etc., to “hold space” for each other.
We literally spent an hr & a half on zoom, sharing from arnd the world, a) what gratitude feels like to us, & b) what we have gratitude for. Talk abt an immersive experience. There were laughs, tears, & joy, & there was even some sadness. But in all of it, 200+ held space for one another.
Kim said this line at the beginning & I told her I’m stealing it: “Gratitude is like armor for the soul!” But what’s that mean? To me it comes in the form of a pic in my mind.
Yes we’re going to face challenges. Yes we’re going to be put out of our comfort zones in life. But…if we practice gratitude for the things we DO have…& I mean literally exercise the gratitude “muscle” – it’s like a protective coating that helps against the challenges & obstacles above. That visual is so helpful to me.
As someone who felt “dead to the world” for 2.5 yrs, to add another visual tool to the box – being able to allow natural opioids to wash over my body as I feel grateful for simple things like – being able to enjoy a bite of food or watch TV, is HUGE. Hope that visual is helpful to you!
