MAK-AIRS

 

Count Your Blessings

This time of the year is the perfect time to be purposeful about thankfulness. The holiday season can be stressful in our personal lives as we manage shopping, parties, school programs, family gatherings, and more. Add on top of that our professional lives as we work with callers every day who are facing a crisis and their stress bleeds through the phone lines and into our laps. If not dealt with this can manifest into a twisted ball of anxiety that sits tight in our chest and can lead to sleepless nights.

One of my favorite movies to watch during the holiday season is White Christmas. In the movie there is a scene where an anxious Rosemary Clooney runs into Bing Crosby when she cannot sleep. In his calming voice he sings,

“When I’m worried and I can’t sleep

I count my blessings instead of sheep and I fall asleep counting my blessings

When my bankroll is getting small, I think of when I had none at all

And I fall asleep counting my blessings”

As we listen to our callers share the difficulties in their lives we can begin to think of the world as a dark place. It is important that we refocus our thoughts to find the positive. If you do a quick google search for research on gratitude, you’ll find pages of articles and books stating all the benefits that gratitude brings. I think we all know this, but don’t always take the time to put it into practice.

So, the next time you wake up at night and begin to feel the weight of the world settle on your shoulders think of Bing Crosby and count your blessings instead of sheep and hopefully you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.

~submitted by Heather Pierce, 211 Coordinator at United Way 211 of Kansas