The Gift of Gratitude


I was speaking to a friend about gratitude and she was quick to remind me that gratitude is not something we should be talking about with the state of affairs in the world right now. I then politely asked her if there is anything at all that she could think of to be grateful for right now. She laughed and reminded me that she had lost her job due to layoffs at her company and her husband wasn't quite sure how much longer he would have his job for. "There is no room for gratitude right now," she said. I asked about her three children and she said they were all fine, doing their own thing. I asked if they were healthy and she said they were. I asked her to check her food pantry to see if it was full of food and she said it was quite packed due to a recent visit to the big box store Costco. I asked if the mortgage was paid to date. She said it was.

At this point, she was beginning to get irritated and wanted to know where I was going with my line of questioning. My response was simple - there is always something to be grateful for. There are children around the world reacting adversely to COVID-19 and dying from the disease. Cars parked up and down roads in US cities, fellow citizens waiting in line for free groceries. Many Americans are still waiting for unemployment checks to show up while backed up on their rent. I know my friend. I was convinced she has thousands of dollars stashed away in savings. I knew she wasn't in any danger of losing her home or being unable to put food on the family's dinner table. I desperately wanted her to see that there was still so much to be grateful for.

Gratitude is one of those funny things - the more gratitude you express, the more you get to be grateful for. Oprah Winfrey said, "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never have enough." I am not minimizing the uncertainties these trying times bring. Economic instability is what one the most challenging things anyone can face. I was right there during the 2008 economic meltdown when I literally lost everything I had. And honestly, I don't know what I'll do if lost my livelihood again. But what I do know is that I've since learnt to do from a fiscal perspective - prepare as best I can for a future that is very uncertain.

After our conversation, I am happy to announce that my friend isn't hanging round either. She has cut down her expenses dramatically and is crafting out a business plan for the business she had been planning to start for the last twelve years while actively looking and interviewing for new employment. Now she wakes up every day with a new found excitement believing that when one door closes, God opens a window. One thing we were both able to share as a COVID-19 life lesson is to never waste another minute by putting off our dreams. Now is the time to stop waiting and to start doing. There is a quote by Ken Poirot that simply says, "Right now is the best time to create your tomorrow."

While continuing to express great gratitude for what we do have, it's time to accept what is, whatever might be and look forward to what life could bring. Tomorrow is always a brand new chance to create a brighter future. Let's always remember to give gratitude for those things that are still good while planning and working on a better future. The more grateful we are, the more we attract things to be grateful for. 

1 comment:

  1. There is always something ti be grateful of. Have an attitude of gratitude because it is an energy that would attract more gratitude into your life.

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