GRATITUDE MATTERS
Written by Davelynn
Benggon-Rampas
There is always
a pang of jealousy after seeing photos of our friends enjoying their vacations
posted on Facebook or Instagram. It is actually a normal 'negative' reaction of
what we referred to as cycle of wishing for what we do not have. Before we even
realized it, we would ask our spouse to bring us for a vacation or we started
to talk negatively about what we saw just because we do not have it right now.
Whether we like it or not, we are living in the world of comparison – We forget
to be grateful.
Oprah Winfrey
gives this advice: “Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more.
If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.”
In fact, gratefulness is a unique way of celebrating the blessings that we have
as well as those delightful things we experience each day. Gratitude is
regarded as the ability to notice positive occurrences in our life and to enjoy
them.
What would
happen when we do not practice gratitude? A heart that is not thankful is an
isolated heart – a lonely heart that thinks it can live and do things by
itself, and it has no other way but to be unhappy. A day without saying 'Thank
You' always lead to a bad day because it can be a sign that we are quite self-immersed.
Most studies have shown that the critical reason for living life gratefully is
to counter and halt the all-too-human tendency to slide into negativity because
humans often over-emphasize negative and downplay the positive events.
There are always
good reasons to be grateful even when saddled with an imperfect self, a
difficult life, and a complicated world. Being grateful does not only decreases
negative effects in life but also increase the frequency of positive ones.
However, gratitude should never be forced because it would lose its
authenticity.
Can you find
gratitude in your heart when you don't get what you want? Do you feel grateful
when your spouse cannot bring you to a candle-light dinner on Valentine's Day?
Truth is we have to be thankful always regardless of the circumstances we may
be in right now. Someone wise once said, “Circumstances do not determine
character – they reveal it.” How we deal with our life is revealed most clearly
during times of struggle, hardship, pain, and suffering. Gratitude is not a
fair weather virtue because pure gratitude means to stay thankful even when the
times get tough.
It feels good to
be grateful and even better to sow this attitude among others without expecting
something in return. Being such kind of person, we become a medium to spread
blessing to other people around us. There are lots of reasons for being
grateful. We can always change our life because we have the power to think and
talk about gratefulness that bring everything good in life to everyone. Never
set the mind that life is unfair because if life were perfectly fair then we
would be less ambitious, live with fewer goals, and get fewer opportunities in
life. Although life is supposed to end, we should be grateful because we have
the freedom to choose the choices in life.
Charles Dickens
wrote, “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not
on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” A grateful attitude
restrains us from being envious of other people. We learn to be content with
what we have and not obsessed with what we lack. We all face adversity in our
life but what is more important is how we react to it. It almost sounds too
simple to say it but when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our
lives but are grateful for the abundance blessing that is presence, we have
everything and because we are meant to have an amazing life!
How Can We
Be More Grateful
1.
Always start your morning by
reading thanksgiving message.
2.
Recall the gifts you have at
the start of the new day, such as the life you behold and the family you have.
3.
Always be thankful in advance
for the blessings that will come your way.
4.
Think of one or two concrete
deeds of kindness you can do for others.
5.
Put reminders for counting your
blessings.
6.
Recall something that you are
grateful for.
7.
Write gratitude notes or
letter, or send messages to people you owe a great deal, especially to your
spouse, parents, siblings, relatives, and dear friends.
8.
Start with a gratitude blog or
journal.
9.
Read this book - Rhonda Byrne's
The Magic, if you haven't read it yet.
10.
Pray for blessings for your
benefactors and those who need blessings the most.
11.
Give back to the community
through a volunteer work of your choice.
12.
Share gratitude messages via
social media.
13.
Always end your day giving
thanks to God.
