What would you do if someone you knew was going to die in 100 days? Would you spend more time with them? Tell them how much you love them? Forgive them for wrongs they may have caused you?
Today a man from my local congregation gave me a bit of perspective on this. He said that he did a bit of math and he thought about his parents who are increasing in age. He expects them to live another 20 years or so. He also noted that he only sees them a handful of times throughout the year, such as special family gatherings or holidays, the rest of the time he is with his wife and kids in his own home. He did a bit of math and noted that if he expects his parents to be around for another 20 years and he sees them an average of 5 days a year, then ruffly he has about 100 days left to spend with his parents before they’re gone. That’s it. 100 days. Have you ever taken a moment to do some of your own math in life when it comes to relationships?
So why am I sharing such a story? Because one of the most important things that we can do in this life is to learn how to look around us, and see all of the things we have and to express gratitude for them because they may not always be there. The concept of gratitude is something that I’ve heard spoken of over and over again, whether it be in religious conversations, scientific studies, self-help guides, you name it! So why is it that this is so talked about? Does gratitude have the power to change THE world? It has the power to change YOUR world.
What Is Gratitude?
According to the dictionary, gratitude is the quality of being thankful or showing appreciation for something or someone. I would add to this that it is the process of taking a deep look at yourself and your surroundings and is making a conscious effort to note things that bring you joy and happiness.
Just as important as finding what you’re grateful for, is the importance of expressing that gratitude. I would argue that gratitude, especially if you want to get the full effects from it, is not complete until you’ve expressed that.
How can we express gratitude?
Here are a few ways that we can express gratitude for the great things in our lives:
- Verbally tell people thank you for their contributions in our lives
- Write or type a letter or send an email to someone
- Write it out in a gratitude journal or as part of your regular journal
- For those who are religious, this might include expressing thanks to God in the form of prayer.
- We can also express gratitude through showing kindness and reciprocating good deeds done to us.
- We can find ways to give back with time or money to people or causes that have influenced us.
Why is gratitude so important?
It can be so easy to get lost and wrapped up in our day-to-day lives and forget. Forget all of the good things around us. It has been my personal experience from human nature that people often are searching for the next great thing in their lives, and sometimes miss out on the good that is happening all around them.
I myself have often fallen guilty to this habit of focusing on what I don’t have instead of what I do have. It can be a very damaging habit. Yet, it’s something so simple yet so profound when that perspective starts to change.
When you start to feel and express gratitude, it can really heal you. It changes ones focus. It let’s one relish in all the good around them. In creates feelings of confidence and security that everything is going to be alright. It also makes you more likeable to others. Who doesn’t like being around a person that says thank you, and focuses on the good? Does that mean gratitude will free us from hard and bitter feelings and experiences in life? No. But it does help make us feel better. How do I know these things? Well, these are the personal feelings that I’ve felt during times in my life when I’ve expressed more gratitude.
If anyone reading of this is feeling down in life, I strongly encourage to try and test this out. It doesn’t mean that we can’t want more for ourselves, because self-improvement is always important and seeking a better circumstance and setting goals can be highly rewarding and helpful. But sometimes we need to take a step back and focus on what we do have.
What should we be grateful for?
I’d like to suggest 5 areas of our lives that we might be able to express our gratitude more.
Relationships: When people look back at their lives as they age, what is it most wish for? One of the number one things I hear is people wishing they spent more time with, or had better relationships with other people. One area to focus gratitude on is in our relationships. What relationships are you grateful for? What can we do to express our thanks for those relationships?
Life Experiences: Another thing we can consider is life lessons. What events and circumstances in your life, whether pleasant ones or not so happy ones, have influenced who you are today? Are you able to look back and be grateful for those experiences?
Our Health: How about our health or the fact that we are alive? I think especially as we age this is something that people consider more and more. It’s something that affects all other aspects of our lives.
Our Possessions: I’m just going to come out and say it, but it’s ok to like your stuff. Most of us have stuff, some more then others, but we may be grateful for a roof over our head, or clothes that we love, or good food that we like to eat. Maybe it’s a new toy, or our bed. Might be related to things that bring convenience, provide life support, or are just things we like. While I’m sure all of us still wish for things we’d like to have in the future, there are many things we have right now that we can express our thanks for.
Our Freedoms: Lastly, I just want to mention freedoms. Now this might very depending on where you live but some of those freedoms might include the freedom to express your opinion, freedom of fear of large scale violence and crime in your area. Maybe it’s the freedom to live your beliefs, or the freedom to travel or experience new things. Whatever your circumstances may be, our precious freedoms are great things to be remembered and cherished.
The Challenge: Think of 5 things you’re grateful for this week and find a way to express them in a way that works best for you! Let’s change our world, one thought at a time!