GRATITUDE FOR THE GRANTED

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” -Charles Dickens

Do you express gratitude as often as you should? Any decent minded person would probably answer “yes” to that question. Provided they’re born and bred in a civilized society, people will always show common courtesy. If someone compliments us, we say “thank you.” If someone helps us, we say “thank you.” Hopefully, that’s a given. But what about being thankful for things we all take for granted? Have you ever thanked God or the universe just for having a comfortable blanket over your body at night or for having a bed to sleep in? Most people I talk to say they haven’t. And yet, there are so many people in this world who are homeless and would give their right arm just for a cot and something to cover their bodies with at night. Very often, we’re thankful for the obvious things: job promotion, money, cool cars, compliments, etc. But in my opinion, gratitude should start with the smallest things and work it’s way up to big things. One of the things I do every morning, literally as soon as my eyes open, is to be thankful that I woke up in a bed and not on a park bench. If I had good dreams, I thank God for them. If I had nightmares, I thank God for waking me up in time to make me realize they weren’t real. I’m also thankful for waking up in clean and comfortable pajamas. Some might say that’s overdoing it. But then think about how thankful a person living under a bridge would be for those things. To me, there can never be too much of gratitude. Mental health experts say that one of the pivotal elements to feeling better in life is the act of mindfulness. Mindfulness is often described as being conciously aware of something. If you think about it, gratitude for the small things in life falls under that category. If you’re thankful for the hot water in your home, you’re not only showing gratitude but you’re making yourself aware that you have hot water to utilize. So always ask yourself what exactly are the things you’re thankful for in your life? Just the big stuff like a loving and caring family or wealth? Or the elements we take for granted as well? Because conscious things or unconscious things; they’re ALL important in our lives in one way or another. Do you express gratitude for the smaller things in life? If you don’t, do you believe that doing so would make a difference? Share your thoughts and experiences by commenting below.