Noticing Gratitude

Have you ever noticed something new… but later learned it had always been there?

I’ve been in Southern California visiting family for the Thanksgiving holiday and a surprising thing happened that took most of us off guard.

That’s because we noticed something… that had always been there… but most of us had no idea.

Let me explain.

Stretching from San Diego to Santa Barbara is an archipelago of islands called “The Channel Islands of California”.

You probably have heard of the most popular… Catalina… which was once the glamorous getaway for the stars of Hollywood’s golden age. But today it welcomes crowds from scuba divers, passing cruise ships, and the occasional buffalo from the island’s wild buffalo herd.

“Wait”, you might say, “Buffalo?”

True story. Hollywood once filmed Westerns on Catalina and left behind a herd of buffalo that still roams the island.

And so, Los Angeles County manages an ACTUAL buffalo herd on Catalina Island.

Who knew, right?

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(Photo: Avalon on Catalina)

And then 140 miles across the ocean to the north is the Channel Islands National Park where you can camp along pristine beaches next to elephant seals, snorkel in kelp forests, and kayak over crystal clear water. Bring a shovel and you might also find remains of the last population of wooly mammoths that used to roam the islands…

However much further to the south is an island that most people don’t know about: San Clemente Island. That’s because while Catalina and the Channel islands can be seen from most beaches in SoCal, San Clemente Island is 70 miles off the coast and almost never visible.

That is, until this week.

With the recent rains clearing the air, and the overall reduced traffic because of the holidays, for the first time in a long time, the conditions were perfect to see San Clemente Island…over 70 miles across the ocean.

Catalina, just 22 miles of the coast, felt like you could reach out and grab it.

As my extended family had gathered for Thanksgiving, we stood marveling at the view.

That’s when I heard people say:

“Wait… Catalina is THAT close? I’ve never noticed it…”

“I never knew there was a San Clemente island! I grew up here and I had no idea!”

“Its so clear… its just right there…”

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(Photo: Buffalo on Catalina)

I find it powerful that when the conditions were right, and when we took the time, things that had ALWAYS been there suddenly became visible.

And to me, that’s the power of gratitude.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Americans cherish the opportunity to gather, pause, and give thanks.

Thanks for our health.

Thanks for our families.

Thanks for the past year.

What I find interesting is… these things are part of our daily lives. They are the building blocks of our reality.

But just like the islands of Southern California, things like our health, families, and opportunities… they have always been there… but it takes the right conditions to truly notice and appreciate them.

All of a sudden the comments from my relatives have new meaning.

“Wait… my ability to breathe and walk is THAT close? I’ve never noticed it…”

“I never knew my family was actually pretty great in this unique way! I grew up here and I had no idea!”

“The opportunities in front of me are so clear… they’re just right there…”

That’s the power of gratitude.

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(Photo: The Channel Islands of California)

Gratitude helps us see things as they really are.

Gratitude helps us see people as they really are.

And gratitude helps us see ourselves as we really are.

What are you grateful for? What have you noticed in your life that you hadn’t see before?

I hope this holiday season the conditions are right for you to step back, and notice… possibly for the first time… things that have always been there.

You’ll find you’ll be able to see farther and look deeper than ever before.

And if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll see San Clemente island too.

Christian

CHRISTIAN HANSEN has gone behind the scenes in some of the biggest organizations in the world to find out the reasons why some people get chosen and why others don’t. As the #1 bestselling and LinkedIn Top Ten ranked author of “The Influence Mindset: The Art & Science of Getting People to Choose You” Christian helps teams and organizations who want to stand out and be the obvious choice. With degrees from Brigham Young University and The London School of Economics, he’s helped thousands of individuals position and sell themselves. A fan of international communication, history, and choral music, he currently lives in Utah with his wife. Reach him at: TheChristianHansen.com