Desiring Gratitude & Being Grateful for Desire

Amidst the slew of Happy Thanksgiving messages, one in particular caught my eye and my imagination.

“Desire and gratitude are not mutually exclusive.” Yes. Thank you Kate!

It’s been a big year for Greg and I, as you can sense through the sometimes sporadically sometimes sparse personal blog messages we’ve posted during the second half of this year. Since September (well, really, since July) we’ve been in transition. We’ve been in between. We’ve felt at home and homeless. We’ve felt grateful that this vision we had for the next phase of our life is coming true, and we’ve felt anxious to find a place to ground ourselves in Colorado.

I’ve been so grateful for how everything has unfolded, and I want more for our lives here.

I’m grateful for the quick connections we’ve made, and I want more deep connections. I’m grateful for the incredible opportunity I’ve been given to join the training and development team at CU Boulder, and I want our business to more fully impact the lives of couples and families. I am immensely grateful for my incredible husband, and I’m excited to add to our incredible family unit.

I want. And I’m grateful. I desire more, and I’m thankful for this beautiful moment, right now.

So often, it’s easy to get stuck in an either/or mentality with gratitude and desire. I should just be grateful for what I have. Yes! And…I must pursue what my heart and intuition are pulling me toward. Both are important.

I loved the metaphor Kate painted in her article:

You can hold both at the same time: gratitude in one hand, desire in the other.

I wanted to build on this beautiful image because, to me, gratitude and desire are like our feet; we must use both to move forward. If we stand on either foot for too long, we’ll grow weary, or stagnant, or maybe even fall over. If we use both, we can climb mountains, run marathons, and go on slow and beautiful strolls with those we love most.

On this beautiful day of gathering with friends and family to celebrate what we are thankful for, may we also realize the beauty of authentic desire. Be grateful for all you have, and continue to pursue what you want.

Happy Thanksgiving!