Having Gratitude For Your... Fears?
I am a big advocate of showing gratitude, and acknowledging all of the great things that have come together to enrich our lives. It's easy to have gratitude for our loved ones, for that new pair of shoes, or for that chai tea that your friend picked up for you. If you already have a track record of being thankful for the unmistakable blessings in your life, you're already primed for this concept: Being thankful for your fears.
I'm going to get honest - this was my exact reaction to reading about this concept in Gabrielle Bernstein's book May Cause Miracles. I always thought that the ego and all of the fears that it exhumed don't serve us - so why on earth would I suddenly be... grateful for it? Gabrielle, anticipating this confusion, sums up this idea eloquently in one sentence: "Rather than look[ing] at your fears as problems, be grateful for the loving assignment for spiritual growth" So I did exactly that. I wrote down some of my top fears and was willing to witness them as opportunities for growth that they are. Fear of: Being boring, or thought of as bland. I am grateful for this assignment because: it pushes me to be friendly and kind, which is half the battle in social situations. This fear also compells me to develop myself and my interests, giving me something to passionately discuss. Fear of: Reaching for more. I am grateful for this assignment because: it highlights the options that I have in life: I can either continue playing small and be comfortable, or I can invest time and money in my personal development which will lead to greater fulfillment - seems like a clear-cut choice when it's laid out like that! We all owe it to ourselves to try. Fear of: Becoming out of shape or unhealthy. I am grateful for this assignment because: it's so easily tackled with the right mindset! It challenges me to put an effort into healthy eating and a lifestyle of self-care. It also reminds me how lucky I am to have have the resources to achieve this (money, time, access to quality groceries). In fact, I'm already tackling this assignment by trying my hand at cooking Creamy Green Onion Chicken (a complete disaster!) and Bruschetta Salmon (a huge improvement). My next step is to reduce the amount of junk and snacks I purchase, and replace it with nutritious food instead! I am hooked on hawaiian Pizza, so I'm making it more of a special treat and not a lifestyle. You can quote me on that, pizza can be a lifestyle. These are just a few examples of fears re-imagined as opportunities for spiritual growth! I hope that my examples can help to inspire your list - I would love to hear some of your fears-turned-spiritual-assignments in the comments.
