Look For The Gifts

People's lives are filled with as many different kinds of challenges as there are people. These "challenges" or obstacles all seem to get in the way of what we want to do. I wonder if there's another way to look at them as being "material" for creativity rather than something in the way of what we're trying to do. It's sort of like viewing everything in your universe as being there for the sole purpose of providing you with something to paint about, write about, sculpt about, compose music about, or even change your thoughts about, etc. Everything in our world (personal or otherwise) can be experienced as a gift - whether it's a reminder to be a little kinder to ourselves and/or others, or to appreciate our environment more, or to keep our inner environment in an uplifted state - there are an endless variety of experiences/opportunities that can serve as "messages" from life if we can remember to view them that way - in other words -view life with thanksgiving - look for the "gifts".