the secret to longevity

“Acceptance. Forgiveness. Gratitude.

That’s the secret to longevity,” she said on her 98th birthday. And then the birthday girl, my friend at the nursing home, asked me a question I hadn’t thought of before, “which one do you think is the hardest?” I had to think for a moment...

☮️ Acceptance...

Not trying to change the present moment. Not wishing we were different or that the people around us were different. Appreciating where we are. Not hoping to be somewhere else.

💕 Forgiveness...

Letting go. Not keeping score. Giving them the benefit of the doubt. Not holding grudges or blaming others. Knowing they were doing the best they could with the information they had at the time.

🙏🏼 Gratitude...

Appreciating all that we have. Noticing even the tiniest things because they’re still miracles. Knowing that we are enough and we have enough always.

What do you think? Which is hardest? Acceptance, forgiveness or gratitude?

Let me know with a ☮️💕🙏🏼!