No Reason to be Grateful? Think Again!
As I struggled to formulate the topic I would write about today; I was struck by how much has changed within and around me in the last few months. Sometimes, I am grateful for these changes. Other times, I miss the changes because I am focusing on something I do not have. Therefore, I decided to write about gratefulness.
Gratefulness is the state of being grateful, and being grateful, according to Merriam-Webster, means “being appreciative of blessings received”
Now you might wonder, “what do I have to be grateful about?” The simple answer to that is “a lot!” You may look around and say, “I do not see what you mean.” That is where the challenge arises; our perspective determines everything. Re-orienting our perspective to see the blessings during challenging situations and being grateful about them changes everything. Even the bible said in 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Often, we ignore blessings that we are used to, such as family, life, health, wealth, wisdom, opportunities, and more. These blessings you have might not be what you want at this point, but they are things that some other people do not have. Focusing on our lack could lead to fear, anxiety, sadness, mental instability, and more. But focusing on the good things we have will help us lead a fulfilling life.
As many people realize after achieving a significant milestone, many things we want do not lead to fulfillment. Being grateful and content leads to satisfaction. An example is a student that says, “I will be happy after I graduate from the University,” then realizes that the happiness fades away after one week of graduation. Replace “after I graduate…” with whatever you are currently pursuing. The result is the same. Therefore, be grateful for current blessings regardless of your current status or situation.
Finally, the more we are grateful, the more we find blessings, i.e., the challenges in a situation become inconsequential after a while because our focus is only on the gifts. This cycle then gives us the strength to change challenging conditions or weather those situations we can not change. Therefore, look around and be grateful :)
