The Power of Gratitude
Have you ever had the type of day when it seemed as if the world was conspiring against you? It is those kind of days when it feels like it is impossible for anything to go right, like you’re playing a real life game of whack-a-mole, popping your problems on the head as they spring up. The day starts with a cold shower because today was the day your water heater died, followed by a quick breakfast of nothing because the last thing left in the kitchen was a wilting banana. You were welcomed to work by a boss who can’t seem to find the value in your work no matter how you try…you see the trend, things can go from bad to worse minute by minute. There is a secret here my friends, you have a superpower to solve your problems and it is called gratitude.
This little miracle action, gratitude, holds the key to local untold treasures of mental health. I promise you as you sulk around your life holding your head low, there is someone out there in the world that would gladly change places with you in the blink of an eye. Gratitude is the choice we make to see our world from a perspective of joy, and with this power of choice we have the ability to affect ourselves and those around us in a very commanding way. For every stroke of bad luck there is an opposing act of good luck. We have all heard the statement, “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”, but have we ever really given it a second thought? I would encourage you to really ponder that statement, really think about the mother who has just lost her son, the son who has just lost their father, or the father who has just lost his job. Not to sound like Debbie downer, but for everything challenging in life, there is always something even more disconcerting.
I challenge you to use your power of gratitude and cast off those bewildering negative feelings that take you to a place that is of no value in your life. For every negative thought, find the opposite thought and experience those feelings of gratitude. I would encourage you to practice something I do each morning and journal the things you are grateful for, from small to big and everything in between. Some days the list might be endless, other days the list might be shorter, but I promise you if you practice focusing on what you are grateful for you will find ultimate joy. We take so much for granted that it is easy to forget to be grateful, remember even the small things…the air we breathe, the people we love, the freedom we have to make a choice. You will quickly see that a short-lived cold shower is nothing but a thing of the past that helped you realize everything you love about your life.
