Gratitude - Focus on the Positive

Volumes have been written on the subject of gratitude, but a few short paragraphs are all that is really necessary. It is not such a complicated topic. The best way to describe gratitude is that it is the act of being more aware of what we have than what we do not have. Another good definition is that it is knowing that even though we may not have everything we want, we have everything we need, and that is enough.

When we are concentrating on being grateful, there is no time for self-pity. And when we are focusing on what is good in our lives, we are spending less time thinking about our troubles and focusing on the negative.

Gratitude helps us to recognize the treasure in the simple things such as a child's laughter, a breathtaking sunset, or the fragrance of spring flowers. It helps us not to ignore the beauty of the world around us.

Opportunities to practice gratitude exist in every situation. Though not always obvious, and we often have to dig for them, the opportunities are there. It is simply a matter of taking the time to look. The obviously wonderful things that happen in our lives, marriage, the birth of a child, getting a great job, buying that first home, are easy to be grateful for.

For the tough situations, though, the answer is in how we view them. For example, it is difficult to find anything to be grateful for in losing a loved one. But if we really try, we can find hidden blessings. Maybe our grief brought us closer to God, thereby improving our spiritual life, or maybe our loved one was in pain, and their death brought much needed peace and relief.

If the early morning singing of the birds disturbs our sleep, we can be grateful for our sense of hearing instead of angry because we were awakened. After all, there are many who cannot hear and would love to be disturbed in this manner. Maybe our home needs to be remodeled, but at least we have a home. There are many who do not have a roof over their heads. If we are very busy and must work overtime at our job, we can be grateful that we have a job at all. The unemployment rate is high right now. Maybe we are spread too thin and having trouble getting our children to their soccer practices, baseball games, and choir concerts. We could try being grateful that they are healthy enough to play sports and participate in school activities. There are parents of ill or disabled children who would delight in seeing their child play in a baseball game.

It's not always easy, and this could all sound simplistic to some, but gratitude truly is a choice that we make. It is all in our perception, and we have complete control over how we choose to perceive things. We can look for the good and be grateful or choose to see only the bad. We make the choice.