Choices

I woke up this morning in an uncharacteristically serene mood, for some reason. Not that any of the things that continually vex and perplex me had magically disappeared, of course. But as I sit on my front porch with a cup of my favorite coffee, feeling the cool morning breeze and listening to the birdsong, it occurred to me–though not a terribly original thought–that our outlook on life depends on choice. We can choose how much we let our current misfortunes affect our perception of life–after all, it seems to be the tendency of most of us to focus disproportionately on the negative. Or we can make the conscious decision to rebel against that impulse and decide to focus more attention on our blessings–however few and relatively simple they may be.
Many motivational and self-help articles preach an exercise of daily gratitude. And I’ve attempted this practice a few times, only to eventually neglect it because it never became a habit.
Perhaps it may be time for me to try yet again.