GRATITUDE
This is the time to realize you can have happiness right now. We live in an affluent society, even with our current problems. Our poorest citizens have more options than most other countries. We have so much and yet we feel like we don’t have enough. Most of us has way more than we need and even use. How many of us have to rent a storage compartment or POD to hold our stuff that has outgrown our living space? Do we really need all that stuff? My mother’s garage is packed full of stuff, most of which has not been seen in over 35 years. Sure, the stuff has sentimental value to her, but really! If she never uses or even looks at these things, what purpose do they hold?
What are you holding onto that someone else could use? If we all shared, everyone would have enough. If we were grateful for everything we had and keep a mindset of gratitude for everything, we wouldn’t need to keep acquiring the newest gizmo in order to feel good about ourselves.
This is the time for change. How can you make your life easier? Imagine not caring whether you have the latest smart phone. Does that sound counter-intuitive? Everyone wants the newest thing, don’t they? The problem is that there will always be a newer version and chasing the new keeps us constantly wanting. Being in a state of wanting keeps us from being content with what we have now. Maybe the new toy makes us happy for a short time because we can show it off and feel like we’re part of the in-crowd, but the feeling will be transitory. There’s always a newer toy to replace the one we have. Imagine never getting to be happy with what we have. How hard is that!
This is the time to develop an attitude of gratitude. Get in the habit of thanking everything you have. Start the day with gratitude for your bed, your breakfast, your car or other means of transportation. Thank your computer and printer. You don’t have to do this so people around you will question your sanity. Gratitude can be an entirely private internal process.
Try this gratitude action for awhile and find yourself feeling better about so many aspects of your life. The wonderful changes that come from an attitude of appreciation will surprise you. When you are grateful, opportunities arise you might not have noticed or been included in before. I’ve been trying this for a few months. The results are amazing!!!
Going outside of our normal comfort zones can be transformative. It’s scary to act and think differently. We know what we can expect now; the unknown is terrifying. Try saying “thank you” all day long for everything. Your day will be smoother and your heart will lighten if you do.
Lorraine E. Castro, LMFT 