Gratitude does not come naturally to the human heart. In this age of comparison, it seems easier to spend time wondering why others may have what we have longed for. I spent years comparing myself to others and all it brought me was misery, deep dissatisfaction and bitterness. I blamed my past and the bad things that happened to me for the way my life turned out and for my addiction, and felt I had a right to be resentful.
When I recovered from addiction 26 years ago I discovered two keys that changed my life. Deal with your past and forgive – even though the person who harmed you may have done terrible things. Until you choose to forgive, you remain tethered to the person in a way that damages you and makes your life bitter and small. I also learnt to be humbly grateful to God for every single gift that comes into my life – whether good or bad, sickness or health, abundance or lack, joy or grief. The dark seasons teach us in ways we could never know and enlarge our capacity for compassion if we remain thankful. In this way, my world is always enlarged and my capacity to walk the journey with others with love and empathy has increased. I thank God every day for the gift of gratitude and pray we can all learn to be grateful and live enlarged lives everyday.
Janine Epere
CEO Destiny Haven
