A Spirit of Gratitude

When we are truly thankful, we are truly living. Somewhere along the way many of us have come to expect so much from family and friends... from government... from society... from this world . We have become "entitled". The word "entitled" has become a trendy, catch word and is used to describe someone who is a spoiled, rotten brat. It's often reserved for a younger generation who may, or may not, have earned that title. However, if we are honest with ourselves, we all have the tendency to take for granted the little blessings this life has provided. We even may have moments when we throw childlike temper tantrums. I know that I am guilty of being a brat at times.

So why is keeping a thankful mind and heart important, and how do we develop a consistent spirit of gratitude? When we don't recognize, or appreciate the simple day-to-day blessings of this life we rob ourselves of the immense treasures that actually surround us all the time. I would never want to minimize those who are experiencing tremendous hardships in this life, however, most of us who are reading this blog must admit that since you are using your iPhone, or laptop then you probably are dealing with first world issues. Most of us aren't fighting off lions and bears to hunt and gather food, nor are we always on edge wondering if Genghis Khan is going to ride into our village at any time leaving a path of destruction and bloodshed. We have so much for which to be thankful and yet we tend to complain a lot. Think about those complaints for a minute. Are your complaints really worth stealing the potential joy and peace that you could be living? Are your complaints really worth living with high blood pressure and other health issues due to tension and stress?

Have you ever taken inventory of the simple pleasures and activities that feed your soul with peace, joy and gratitude? What simple pleasures bring a smile to your face? Maybe it's taking time to sip on a cup of coffee early in the morning before the kids awake. Maybe it's standing in your hot shower for an extra couple of minutes. Maybe it's getting back to nature. Why don't you go for a walk, take a hike, or go camping? We weren't meant to be locked indoors our entire life. Maybe you enjoy the soft rain falling on a lazy day, or the warm sunshine hitting your face. It could be the laughter of a child, or taking time to share a story with a close friend. You get the idea. Life is about the day-to-day small things, not the once in a lifetime vacation. We have to make a conscious effort to look for the little blessings that are all around us and to appreciate those every day life moments. As Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I encourage you to take the necessary steps to do what is needed to live life with passion and vigor.

Each day we wake and must make a choice to appreciate what we have been given in this life, or be indignant and grumpy because things didn't go as planned. Have you ever seen photos of impoverished children having a ball playing together with discarded junk and with big smiles on their faces? How could it be that such poor children who lack iPhones, Xboxes and new Nike shoes can be so happy and have so much fun? Makes me think we may have missed something very important in our world of wealth and entitlement. Now, I'm not against having nice things, but I am suggesting that we keep a grateful spirit and not lose sight of the truly important blessings of this life. I'll leave you with a quick story and lesson I learned from my 94 year old grandmother. I was in my early twenties when my elderly grandmother came to live with us. Each day I would pass by her bedroom as she was rooting through old photos from her past. Sometimes she would see me and want to tell me a story about a particular photo. I'd listen as she would share with such detail about her past. I noticed that as she spoke her face would fill with the emotions from her story as she replayed it in her head. She never spoke of her furniture, her pots and pans, her shoes and clothes, or anything other than the people in her life. It dawned on me that as her life was coming to a close, nothing really mattered to her but the relationships that she had cultivated. The only real part of her life that had true value were the people she knew. She was grateful for the time she spent with others and recognized the value in having relationships. I'm sure there must be a clue for us about life and embracing a spirit of gratitude.

Let me know the things for what you are most grateful in the comments section.