What Are You Grateful For?
Every day, I like to wake up and remind myself to be grateful of the simple things. — Miranda Kerr
Have you gotten to where you are in life by yourself?
Everyone at some point needed a helping hand. Whether it was big or small.
Even Oprah Winfrey got her start with help from Dennis Swanson who was program director of a local TV station in Chicago. She realized how lucky she was and now helps many people on a daily basis.
She was so grateful for the opportunity she decided to help others.
“No gesture is too small when done with gratitude” — Oprah Winfrey
One day last week I was driving home from work and came to a stop light. I was looking at the gas station to my left. Should I get gas now or wait until tomorrow?
On the median to the left of me I see movement. I am about 6–7 cars back from the light and see a man struggling to stay on the median divider in his wheelchair. I instinctively reach into my pocket and pull out 10 bucks.
The light turns green before the wheelchair reaches me. As I pull up to the light and reach him I stop the car and hand him the money. He said thank you a few times like I saved his life or something.
The car behind me blasts his horn for me to move my car. Wow are you that much in a hurry you can’t help another human being?
Take nothing for granted
Life can change so fast in the blink of an eye. One day you are on top of the world and the next you are lucky to be sleeping on a friend’s pull out couch.
Circumstances can happen to anybody and you should not take anything for granted. You got a big promotion and raise. Good for you. A year later the company you work for goes bankrupt because of shady business dealings from the executive board. Now your big raise is nothing and you begin to scramble to find the next job opportunity.
Your wife and you announce that she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. You are at work beaming like a proud papa. Life could not get any better. But a few months down the road you come down with a medical condition and need expensive surgery. (For the record I have not had to do this, but I am making a point.)
Now what?
The first visit to the doctor’s office is to discuss treatments and what to expect next. You check to if this surgery is covered by your health insurance. A couple of days later the hospital tells you your health insurance will not cover this procedure.
Holy shit what the hell are we gonna do now?
Be grateful for everything
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
According to Dr. Robert Emmons, a leading researcher on gratitude in psychology, the feeling of gratitude involves two stages:
1. Acknowledgement of goodness in one’s life. We affirm life is good and has elements that make it rich with texture and detail.
2. Recognizing that some of the sources of this goodness lie outside the self. One can be grateful to other people and to the world.
The two stages comprise the recognition first of the goodness in our lives. Second of the source of that goodness that lies outside of ourselves.
Gratitude is a selfless act and benefits both parties. The person giving it receives a warm positive feeling they are doing good. The recipient is provided an unconditional act of kindness which makes them recognize good in people.
So, if you have your health, a job and you family is fine then congratulations you are doing much better than most of the world.
Everyone always compares themselves to each other in our social circle. They watch shows like the Kardashians or Entertainment Tonight and gawk at the fancy cars, fine jewelry and big houses all those people have.
But I have to tell you that is bullshit. This is not how the majority and I mean 99% of the population lives.
You have a job and are getting a paycheck.
You are not sick and get up every day.
You have food and water to eat and drink.
You have everything and should be grateful for it all.
Do you think the guy in the wheelchair had the things you have at one point in his life? Maybe
You are probably thinking but that guy is a bum and homeless.
Ok perhaps he had a home and a job but circumstances beyond his control took them away from him. Maybe he was born with a disease and has been in the wheelchair his whole life.
The truth is we do not know what happened to this guy.
Life is good, and I am grateful for everything. Even the little things like gas in my car, a smooth ride home or the fact that I have a car.
Is the 10 bucks I gave him going to make or break me? Definitely not.
I will do it over and over and I don’t care how many cars are beeping at me because they want to make the light.
