The importance of Gratitude

2020 has been a difficult year for most of us. I do believe though that, regardless of what happened, there is still a lot to be grateful for. 

The very fact that you have survived challenges and made it this far is on its own a miracle. Being able to feed yourself without anyone helping you is a miracle. Having the strength to do things you want to do is not something to be taken lightly. We are protected from accidents and other dangers on a daily basis. 

We tend to take certain things for granted. We perceive daily miracles as part of the normal mundane course of life. We are only reminded of their significance if there is a change – and things are no longer what they used to be. Only then do we get to value what we used to take for granted. Truth be told, there is always something to be thankful for, no matter how small it may appear.

Even if there is something bothering us, it makes all the difference if we process it in the context of gratitude. Gratitude creates an environment where there is equanimity in the soul despite outside turbulence. It serves as a force that creates equilibrium in our lives.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” ~ Melody Beattie

The problem with a discouraged or complaining heart is that it invalidates and renders irrelevant everything that is going well in our lives. It magnifies what does not work such that it becomes a defining factor. It overshadows every positive worth celebrating. It sends us straight to Armageddon, the end of the world situation.

Gratitude also has a way of giving us a renewed sense of perspective. It helps us open our minds to the reality that there is a landscape larger than what we can see. It opens our eyes to the flip side of things so that we are not fixated on the world before us. When we go through challenges, our natural inclination is to moan, feel sorry for ourselves and hope that tomorrow will be a better day. When we practise gratitude, there is no room for moaning. Instead, our eyes are opened to opportunities attached to the specific trial, such as development and growth. Real growth does not take place in a classroom. It is often the painful experiences of life that bring real growth in our lives. 

God Bless!