Before I talk about how gratitude can improve your fertility journey, I need to give a little background regarding my car. See it was my car that recently made me reconsider the topic of gratitude in my life, if I have enough of it, and how it relates to you and your fertility journey.
My family and I took a 2 week car trip during the summer. It was amazing. We saw many college friends that have moved away, as well as exposed our kids to new ideas and cultures that they can’t experience here in Texas. There was one negative experience that occurred on the 2nd day of our trip – another driver backed up into our car and we had a little fender bender.
Fast forward more than a month later and we’re still working with the body shop and insurance company to get the car fixed. It was a bit of damaged and they’ve estimated it taking 2-3 weeks to repair (we’re already two weeks in, with at least another week to go). Luckily though, the other driver’s insurance is paying for a car rental. However, what they’ve paid for is a very small compact car – which of course isn’t what I’m use to. So I’m driving in this rental car, thinking thoughts like:
- I can’t believe this doesn’t have cruise control. It shouldn’t be legal to make a car without cruise control!
- I miss my built in garage door opener.
- This car is so tiny, there’s no way I can fit a 5th person between the car seats (mind you I have a 4 person family, but when the negative thoughts start coming they start spiraling in!).
And then it dawns on me “Misty, you’re lucky you have a car at all right now. Otherwise you’d be stuck at home for the next few weeks. You’re so spoiled by convenience, stop complaining.” Ouch. The truth hurts sometimes, even when it comes from yourself.
How does my car being in the shop relate to your fertility? Gratitude. What’s going well with your fertility that you can be grateful for? Are your cycles regular? Were you finally able to get in to see that fertility specialist? Were you and your parents finally able to have a heart to heart about why you don’t have the kids you’ve always wanted? Whatever it is, no matter how small, be grateful for it. And for anything else in your life that’s going well.
The more we seek out the positive in our daily lives, the more bearable any situation becomes. Even infertility. So while gratitude may not directly improve your fertility, it may improve your fertility journey and experience. This can give you the clarity you need to keep the end game in mind, and can make you more likely to stick with your journey until you reach your goal of growing your family.
I’ve decided to be grateful for this car rental and make the most of it. After all, it will just make me that much more grateful for my car when I get it back from the shop. And in the process I’m finding that I am much more grateful for lots of the little things in my life. I hope you give it a try too.
Until next time – don’t stop dreaming,
Misty Reed, Fertility Consultant and Coach
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