I’ll never claim to be a good cook…I try, but most of the time it tends to end badly. Several distinctive memories standout:
First, there was the time I tried to make boxed mashed potatoes. I followed the recipe to the tee according to the box. When my friends tried it they politely nodded and one asked, “Seems a little dry, did you add water?” I guess it was assumed that the person making the mashed potatoes from a box should have known this, well…whoops!
Then there was the time I tried to make my wife some lasagna when we were dating. She thought that was cute besides the fact it was fairly inedible even for my iron stomach…we ended up ordering pizza.
I’ve come a long ways since then in my culinary adventures. My wife trusts me now to brown hamburger and I am a proud, proficient user (and cleaner) of the cheese grater!
The cheese grater is an amazing tool. Simple in design and yet so effective in delivering on its purpose…breaking a part a full block of cheese into slivers of delicious goodness. Think about all the great meals you have had that shredded cheese just adds to its awesomeness…soup of any kind, tacos, loaded potato, the list goes on!!
Our lives can surprisingly act a lot like that cheese grater if we allow it too. Here’s a few thoughts on why/how we need to grate out some positive, authentic gratitude this holiday season and in every season of life afterwards:
- Makes the Ordinary Special-
Life can become humdrum as we simply go through the motions. When we become so caught-up in the grit/grind of daily living, forgetting the joys and gratitude of living we stifle our fire and passion. When we grate out some gratitude for ourselves, it makes the ordinary moments of life special. That ordinary conversation with a student, who will someday grow up and raise a family, hmmm that’s special. That ordinary day of grading papers, while sneaking in notes of positivity/thankfulness in the margins, that makes it special. We have the power to fill any moment with gratitude!
- Gratitude Creates Abundance-
The cheese grater transforms a solid piece of cheese that only one person could enjoy by multiplying it in abundance through shredding. Too often in life we live with a scarcity-mindset, we hold onto that solid block of cheese all for ourselves. Everything is limited, so I’m going to hold onto this piece. This mindset infects our relationships with suspicion of others’ motives in the workspace and in general living. However, when we embrace gratitude, it sows the seeds of abundance. By taking our portion in life and spreading it generously, we will find that our impact can multiply!
- Small Actions Speak!-
Gratitude does not need to be some huge production. Truly authentic gratitude shows up daily through small actions that in accumulation leave lasting impact. Our small actions speak loud/clear, trust me our young people watch us closely! Do our daily actions bring forth the gratitude that resides in us or do we simply do the minimum to get by another day? Shredded cheese accumulates fast, but it all starts with the first stroke across the grater. What small act gratitude can you do today that will share love/kindness to someone else?
November is hands-down my favorite month of the year. During the month we will celebrate my wife’s birthday and have family thanksgiving! I was blessed to see that gratitude was the theme for this month’s posts through our #CompelledTribe of bloggers. I’m excited to hear the perspectives of our fellow bloggers on this topic! Have a wonderfully blessed holiday season and remember to grate out some gratitude! 😉
Perennial Educator 