Reflections on Gratitude
by Orly Wahba
I can’t think of a more appropriate theme for this month than gratitude. Especially coming off of a month of endurance, it’s fitting that gratitude should follow suit because after we put our heart on the line, after we push forward with all we have – we get to reap the benefits by experiencing gratitude in the purest and most powerful form.
Last month, I shared that I was setting out on my very own endurance exercise. Over the course of 40 days I headed to the Western Wall (Kotel) to pray for something that I wanted to call into my life. Each day, after praying, I created a FB LIVE video on my personal page sharing my experience and proclaiming to the world what I am calling into my life. I never expected what came next!
People from across the globe from various cultures and religions began reaching out sending me their names and the things they would like me to pray for. Hundreds of messages have been pouring in daily and my list of names has grown to over 500 strong!
My time at the Western Wall has been incredible and on September 5th I celebrated my 40th day in gratitude! This journey has truly been a transformative experience and made myself and hundreds of others connect in an entirely new way. But more than anything it provided me with a daily opportunity to pause and give thanks to what I do have, because only once we truly feel gratitude can we be ready to receive what the world has in store for us.
As my 40th day approached, and the month of gratitude was around the corner, I realized that there was yet another exciting opportunity. I shared that I would be at the Western Wall on my 40th day to celebrate with a gratitude party and I asked over a thousand people who were following the story to create their very own gratitude parties. Some people managed to celebrate with me in person and others gathered a few friends and family members to proclaim what they are grateful for.
This 40 day endurance exercise prepared me to realize that it wasn’t about what I was calling into my life as much as it was about giving voice to the things that I already have in my life. Gratitude isn’t something we should wait to share when some miraculous thing happens, it’s something that is in existence every day and every moment in every situation – it just depends on the lens we choose to view the world and the things it naturally provides us with. So get out there and don’t wait to show gratitude – yell it from the rooftops!