The holidays can be triggering and overwhelming for many of us, especially when we think about loved ones we lost, had rocky relationships with, or haven’t spoken to in years. However, this is also a perfect time to reflect on what we must be thankful for.
Gratitude, the appreciation for what we have, is a vanishing value in today’s western society. Historically, gratitude was a virtue that led to action. Unfortunately, modern times have reverted gratitude into simply a feeling. With society hyper-focused on consumerism, people focus on what they don’t have or on what other people have that they don’t.
People seek happiness by accumulating things, which has created a society that feels entitled to what it receives and thus does not adequately express gratitude. Further, people are taking things for granted. The ability to be grateful is vanishing with economic and human rise, creating artificial dissatisfaction.
Gratitude is like a muscle that you can develop to have more. Gratitude is how you choose to see and has the power to change your life. Shift your perspective – from ‘I have nothing’ to ‘I have everything’ and from ‘I am nothing’ to ‘I am all I need.’ Your reality will shift because gratitude shows you that you are enough and have enough. Gratitude exercises optimism and gets you out of the confines of your head.
You will see these hashtags in my tweets. I make sure to let everyone know how very thankful I am for their comments, compliments, and good wishes. I truly am humbled and so very grateful beyond words. The two words, thank you, are so powerful, and we have been overlooking gratitude as a society.
We are taking things for granted, whether people or acts of kindness. We really NEED to appreciate the people around us as we progress through life, and those two little words {thank you} are so vitally important to making everyone else around us feel good.
Since we were children, we have known that some situations require an expression of gratitude like this. My mother, for example, did a fantastic job raising me regarding manners and common courtesy. To this day, if she hears that my grandmother sent me a card, she’s on the phone asking me if I called to thank her. I have been force-fed ‘thank yous’ my whole life, and I am so glad she did.
Why? Because I see so many kids with the world on their plates – basically everything handed to them – and they don’t even have the common courtesy to say ‘thank you.’ Not saying ‘thank you’ shows a lack of class and a lack of leadership by the parents to teach their children common decency.
Why should we say ‘thank you’? You recognize that someone had a choice and didn’t have to do it.
- Saying ‘thank you’ acknowledges dependence on others, and you…
