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Flying High on Gratitude

Writer's picture: Shirin AriffShirin Ariff

Gratitude and flying high

Hello there,


I’m writing to you from the clear blue skies! Today’s work involves floating on fluffy white clouds, 29,000 feet high, gazing out of the window at the vast beauty of our world. It’s one of those moments when you're surrounded by such magnificence that you can't help but feel a swell of gratitude—for family, friends, and life itself. I feel like I could almost reach out and pocket a piece of serenity from the sky.


My view today!

Today, I'm diving into the magic of gratitude, a practice that has transformed my life. Have you ever really thought about what it means to be grateful? I recently came across the Hebrew term for gratitude, which literally translates to "recognizing the good." Simple, right? Or so I thought. But then I started a mental debate with the idea.





I mean, how do we define “good”? What is "good"? And who decides what’s good for us?

What?! ... Wait

My 80-year-old neighbor is bedridden, having lost her mobility. Her body no longer cooperates with her lively spirit, and she was forced to move to a senior residence. I found myself wondering, where’s the good in that? Slightly miffed at the universe, I began to reflect deeper.


Maybe, just maybe, good doesn’t always come wrapped in glittery paper. Sometimes, as my friend Catherine Clark says in her book, good arrives as “gifts in dark packages,” the ones we might unwrap with a grimace, unaware that they are presents for the soul.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not about to sprinkle glitter on life’s genuine hardships and pretend everything is just fine.


Generating mindfulness in hardship

That’s not what gratitude is about, and I’m not one to gloss over heavy clouds with fake sunshine. But what if the real magic lies in surrender? In trusting that, in the grand scheme of things, there is something good in every experience, even if it’s buried deep, waiting to be uncovered. Sometimes, gratitude is about stepping back and trusting that, even when life feels like chaos, there’s an unseen force quietly weaving everything together.


Let’s be real. The world often sells gratitude as if it’s an effortless Sunday brunch, but if you’ve ever been stuck in traffic with a million things on your mind, juggling a life that feels like it’s teetering on the edge, and someone tells you, “Just be grateful,” it can feel a bit... well, off.


But here’s the thing: gratitude isn't about sugarcoating. It’s not about denying the struggles or brushing aside the messy parts.


It's more like a compass. It points us to the bright spots in our lives, even when everything else feels dim. Sometimes, it helps us reframe our challenges in a way that builds resilience.

I’ll share a story. Not too long ago, I had a day where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. My to-do list was endless, my workload was overwhelming, and to top it off, I left some important documents at home that I was supposed to deliver to a client by 5 pm. I drove back home for over an hour, grabbed the papers from the drawer, set them on the table, paused to drink a glass of water... and then left without them. By the time I reached the client again, I realized they were still sitting on the table! Perfect, right?


Gratitude is like a compass

I was furious. I wanted to throw my hands up and scream, “Why?!” Instead, I sat in my car, outside the client’s door, and chose to surrender. I thought about the idea of "recognizing the good." What good could possibly come from this absurd, frustrating situation?


Wait, What?!

Then it hit me. I had been so wrapped up in the chaos that I hadn’t paused to appreciate the help I had. I was on the phone with my partner, who spent half an hour not only listening to my complaints and laughing with me through the madness, but also offering to pick up the papers and bring them to me. Even in the midst of what felt like a mini-crisis, there was good—connection, laughter, and a reminder not to be so hard on myself.


It’s moments like these that remind me that gratitude doesn’t always show up on a shiny platter. Sometimes, it sneaks up on you, like a surprise party in the middle of a meltdown. And other times, it’s a choice we have to consciously make, even when we don’t feel like it.

How gratitude teaches us to grow

The tricky part is balancing gratitude with real life—the gritty, unfiltered version where not everything is rosy. How do we find the good in situations that feel far from good? I think the answer lies in curiosity. When we approach life’s challenges with curiosity, asking, “What is this trying to teach me?” or “How can I grow from this?” we open ourselves to finding unexpected gifts.

My bedridden neighbour taught me that, too. Holding her prayer beads with her frail fingers and softly whispering gratitude in her language, chanting “Shukar” as her mobility waned, she found joy in the people who visited her. She was grateful for her caregivers and the support she had, even in her difficult circumstances.


Her story made me realize that gratitude isn’t just for the big, obvious blessings. It’s for the small, quiet moments that slip through the cracks if we’re not paying attention.

It’s in shared laughter, friendships, hard-earned lessons, and the fleeting beauty of a sun-kissed sky viewed from 29,000 feet above.


So here I sit, floating on my metaphorical cloud, realizing that gratitude is both simple and complex. It’s the choice to recognize the good, even when it’s hidden. It’s trusting that life’s bitter pills might carry their own healing powers, even if we can’t see it in the moment.


Gratitude isn’t about being delusional or oblivious to life’s hardships. It’s about staying awake to the sparkles of good amid the mess. Whether it’s a kind word from a friend or the realization that even the toughest experiences can offer new perspectives, gratitude is always there, waiting to be recognized.


And that, my friends, is the magic.


Can't Wait!


Thank you for reading my blogs, I would love to hear from you.


Comment below, what are you grateful for?

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