The ordinary is extraordinary | our reflective space

The 180-degree opposite of gratefulness is to take life for granted. It is the death knell to a satisfying and joyful life. If you want the most basic instruction in how to live gratefully, it would be to stop taking people, possessions, your body, time — literally anything — for granted. Put in positive terms, actively treasuring whatever is yours to treasure is the shortest path to joy you can take.

Committing to taking nothing for granted is an ambitious daily practice. “Nothing” is a lot. One thing each day acknowledged and appreciated that we previously overlooked — that is enough. These commitments are like the chime after the snooze button, a reminder to wake up and not let life pass us by. Or not walk past the extraordinary people we love, relegating them to the ordinary. Or even expect them to always be there, right where we left them.

One of the most accessible and direct pathways to a sense of abundance — after the recognition that life is always bestowing the gift of itself on you — is to savour and celebrate the ordinary.

Kristi Nelson
Cana Reflection 04.22