Looking Back with Gratitude

Most of our gratitude practices focus on the present moment—appreciating the beauty of a day, a loving relationship, or blessings we previously overlooked. We can also practice anticipatory gratitude, giving thanks for the good we affirm is unfolding.

There's another dimension of gratitude worth exploring: looking back.

Recently, I remembered a licensed Unity teacher who saw in me the potential for ministry long before I recognized it. She encouraged me to take classes, never mentioning that they were prerequisites for ministerial school. By the time I realized what she'd been doing, I'd completed the requirements and was ready to take the next step. I wouldn't be writing this today without her influence.

So here's my invitation: Take a full, deep breath. Allow the memory of someone who helped shape your life to come to mind. Who believed in you, encouraged you, or helped you discover possibilities you couldn't yet see? What experiences, even challenging ones, deepened your wisdom or expanded your spiritual awareness?

Bask in the energy of gratitude and appreciation you feel for these people and experiences. Let it remind you that someday, you may look back upon what's happening today with that same profound gratitude.

Thank you!  Bless you! --Rev. Kurt