What Are You Grateful For?
Posted by Savannah | Filed under Gratitude
There is so much to be grateful for. I used to tell people when they asked me how I was doing that “waking up that morning made it a great day”! It’s so true that we have so much to be grateful for, no matter our circumstance. We just need to look for it and we really don’t have to look very far. Sometimes we do, however, have to make an effort. The nice thing about gratitude is that it doesn’t have to be a huge deal.
We can be grateful for family. If we don’t have family, we can be grateful for friends. If we don’t have friends, we can be grateful for the opportunity we have that it’s quite easy to reach out and “touch someone” today. So the conditions today are much more favorable to make contacts that can turn into relationships.
When was the last time you heard a baby laugh or watched a group of children or puppies (or Kittens) play? Be grateful that we can have joy in little pleasures. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than watching the laughter and play of the young. Life for them has not been tarnished by the stresses of work, bills, or relationships. They possess the purest qualities and experience gratitude in simplicities.
Happiness is not having what you want. It is wanting what you have.
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Have you ever kept a journal? I recommend starting one. In it you can start by writing at least five things that you are grateful for each day. It’s amazing to me that when we focus on what we already possess, other things fail in comparison. When we focus on what we have, our moods have a tendency to elevate as well.
I have known people in my lifetime that were literally homeless and living in cars or under bridges that were happier than those I have known with two or three homes, a hefty bank account, and a seamlessly flawless lifestyle! I’ve known people that harbor such bitterness because of the ‘cards they’ve been dealt’. Yet, I have known cancer patients and those with debilitating disease that remain positive and happy for various reasons. How can that be possible? Is it in the attitude and gratitude?
In 2005, The University of Illinois Department of Psychology and The Gallop Organization performed a study of the happiness and well being of the homeless in India and two areas in America. What they found was there were both positive and negative emotions experienced by the homeless they randomly sampled. The positive emotions came from their self-related domains and the negative came from their materialistic possessions. What is the lesson in this about gratitude you ask?
I once heard someone say “Wherever you go, you can always find something to complain about”. How can we be thankful when our thoughts are dominated by fear, unrealistic expectation, and selfish desire? Positive thoughts, acceptance, and personal responsibility lead us to a much different place. There is a transformation of our perception when we face our circumstances with acceptance and courage. When our perceptions change, our thoughts and emotions change. Only then can we truly experience the freedom that gratitude brings into our lives.
So, let me ask you one final question. What do you have to be grateful for?
