Gratitude

"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have." ~ Kiki Knickerbocker

I've had a lot of down time in the past two weeks fighting nasty winter germs.  I won't lie, as much as I hated being sick, I enjoyed the quiet, the rest, and the solitude.  I curled up with books, binge watched television, caught up on Disney movies.  In that time, I've been engrossed in Bella Grace magazine.  Yesterday I read an passage which really hit home for me.

Gratitude allows us to see the sacred in the ordinary.

Seriously.  Could those words be any more true?  We get so caught up in wanting.  Whether it's tangible or intangible desires, we spent more time wishing for things than appreciating things.  We miss out on the importance of what we have when we spend all of our time wishing for more.  And this is why I've started a Gratitude Jar for 2017.  A simple mason jar, pulled out of a cabinet and set in my office.  Each day, I will write one thing that I am grateful for.  The exercise seems so simple and yet I know it will be so much more.

By the way... how awesome is that print?  It was hand drawn by one of the people I'm most grateful for, my amazing artist friend, Melissa.  Check out her work in her Etsy shop and give her some love.