One of my guilty pleasures is watching The Voice. We don’t watch TV in our house but you better be sure that you’re quiet and out of Mama’s way when it’s on.

This season, there’s a contestant named Rayshun LaMarr, whose enthusiasm for life is just…well, bigger than life. Aside from his talent, he has this big, charismatic personality that is driven by his gratitude for everything.

At first, I thought to myself – he’s a little strange, there’s something “off” about him. I mean, no one can be THAT happy ALL of the time. Now, granted, we don’t see all of the moments as it is a TV show, but something about his energy and joy made me think about how we view the world. I mean, here I am, in my little bubble of the universe *judging* a complete stranger because he’s TOO happy. As if, being filled with joy and grace, makes him strange or that there’s something wrong with him. Why do we become uncomfortable when someone expresses genuine gratitude?

What if, maybe, there’s something wrong with our lens?

This journey has taught me quite a bit. One of the bigger lessons, though, has been about this scandalous generosity we’ve been blessed with and my response to it. There have been so, so many times that I have felt that words alone, nevermind a simple thank you, could ever properly express the sheer size of my gratitude. I worry that my expression of thanks lacks in its ability to accurately communicate how much your action filled me with love or made my life better.

Here’s a request folks. Along with me, let’s change out our lenses. Let us live our lives with intentional thanksgiving and acknowledge our positive contributions to this world with a hearty “you are so welcome”. Let us experience the joy of the sunshine AND the rain.

After all, if you are feeling the warmth of the sun or the coolness of the storm, it means that you are ALIVE.

With my new lens on, I leave you with this:

Thank you.

Love and light, always 💜