Corn on the Cob

​ Gratitude seems to be a buzz word lately. We all keep hearing that we need to be more grateful. If you want to be more present, you need gratitude. If you want abundance, you need gratitude. If you want to manifest the life you want, you need gratitude. Great! But, what does that mean???? Honestly, it is the thing that I too have been working on. I have been making my list, day in and day out in my journal, of all the reasons I should feel gratitude. And yet I, like so many of you, have found it has not been resonating with me.
     But that changed last week. Let me tell you about an experience I recently had at the grocery store of all places. It is summer, and for me there is nothing that says summer more than corn on the cob. Needless to say we have been having sweet corn several times a week now that the corn has started to appear at farmer's markets and in the grocery stores. One day last week I stopped in at a local grocery store for a few things I needed for our dinner and saw a big display of fresh corn. I was on one side of the display, and opposite me were a couple ladies who were selecting their corn. Of course they were opening the corn, pulling the leaves and silk back to make sure they were getting good cobs. It was evident early on that only the BEST cobs were going to make the cut. Actually, it wasn't that they were being selective. I am surprised after listening to their conversation that they ended up purchasing any corn at all. They never stopped complaining about the quality of the corn the whole time they were there. It was too small, the kernels were too big, it probably was no good, we have had too much rain, there hasn't been enough heat....and on and on they complained. All I could think of was how grateful I was that I had money to buy good food and that I had stores to choose from to buy my food. There are people in this world who don't have the variety and choice that we have. All I wanted to feel was gratitude so that I could counter the negative energy coming at me from across the corn bin. I finished selecting my corn and headed to a cashier to pay for my food. I left the store feeling my heart swelling with gratitude for what I had.
      Maybe you are thinking that that is kind of simple. What is the big deal? The corn didn't cost me much, but as I listened to the two across from me I quickly understood I did not want to be them. I didn't want to be the person who finds fault with everything in life. I had decided in that moment to look at life from a different perspective. When I look at life from a position of gratitude, my day is brighter and everything changes. When we are grateful we find simple pleasure in the abundance that is our life. The gift of gratitude is that all the superficial things that you think are important fall away and the things that really matter in life rise to the top. Life becomes more peaceful when we live in gratitude. Life becomes more abundant and joyful when viewed from the position of gratitude.

And by the way, our corn was so sweet that evening!