If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more?
~ Roy T. Bennett, Author
It’s de rigeur to talk about gratitude during the month of November these days, but I’m doing it anyway. Practicing gratitude has the power to improve our lives, our families and our communities. It’s free, requires no training or special skill, and can be implemented at any age, phase or condition. Gratitude is a panacea for much of what ails us: from dissatisfaction to greed, from discouragement to pride and entitlement, and more.
Gratitude is the last thing that comes to mind when we face grief, sickness, sorrow, failure, loss, etc., but in much the same way it seems counterintuitive to exercise when we’re sore, gratitude is the very thing we need to do when we don’t feel grateful.
Ever run into those folks who are still kvetching about some perceived injustice that happened decades ago? Or the ones who are so put out by the idea of someone else getting some “undeserved” benefit that they’re just perpetually miserable about how unfair life is to them? Those folks (sometimes we’re those folks) need to practice gratitude, on purpose, and not just one day a year.
When we perceive times are hard, it’s easy to think, “There’s nothing to be thankful for.”
There’s always somewhere to start… the sun, air, water, breathing… there’s four, right there. It’s trendy this month to make gratitude lists, and when things are trendy it makes it easier to turn them into a habit that lasts.
I started this habit, this practice of gratitude, on purpose almost 18 months ago. When I started, I couldn’t come up with more than three things, and those were rote and expected. Coming up with more was like lifting weights… hard, heavy, tiring. You might have to start with three. Or one. But just start somewhere.
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
