It would always
seem inevitable that as soon as we got our food and sat down to eat our lunch,
they would begin to quiz their mother and me, “What are we going to have to eat
tonight?” My wife and I would just look
at each other and grimace. Where’s the
gratitude for what we have RIGHT NOW?
Of course, this may be expected of children. However, this type of attitude is not limited
to the realm of the young.
There‘s so much
emphasis on getting ahead, being successful and striving for change that it can
be hard to remember that you already have so much for which to be grateful.
Even worse, the constant pushing to change your circumstances can lead to
dissatisfaction, and keep you trapped in a cycle of always feeling you’re not
good enough, you never have enough, and you’re thereby not satisfied with what
you DO have!
Free yourself
from the shackles of ‘must try harder’ by remembering to stop and appreciate
what you’ve already achieved, what blessings you already have in your life.
Keep in mind that you are free to be content right now. Here are some
tips to help free you from the cycle of discontent and thereby bring greater
happiness to your life.
1. Change your focus
Research has
shown that the more you cultivate a habit of gratitude, the better able you are
to weather the ups and downs of life. As you perceive life to be positive, you
will come to expect more of the same. You can retrain your brain from negative
self-talk to greater thankfulness, gratitude, and
happiness. You will find that training
your mind with a willingness to have less and to be satisfied with that, you
will have less stress and frustration in your life. The same can be true for your family as well.
By practicing
gratitude, you rewire the neural pathways in your brain so that it becomes your
mindset’s default setting. You learn to look for the good in things instead of
focusing on the bad.
2. Step away from more stuff
If you’re like
most people, you have more than enough possessions. We’ve become such a society that storage
facilities have become one of the largest real estate property investments you
can find. We need more room to store our
“things.” And when those become full, we
make sure we get more space so we can store “more things.” The current mantra is that spending brings
happiness, but deep down you probably know that it doesn’t. Sure, buying
yourself a new car or outfit makes you feel good at the time, but that “spenders high” wears off pretty quickly. So if we retrain our minds to see that it’s
not all these “things” that are truly going to be the basis of our happiness we
will be more content with what you have.
You will also
learn that almost instantly after a “new and improved” item is purchased, the “latest
and greatest” model hits the shelves. Break
the habit of buying the next shiny thing and appreciate what you’ve got right
now.
3. Develop a mindfulness practice
Mindfulness and
meditation can help you focus on the good that’s already in your life. By
focusing on the present, you free yourself from that familiar yoyo-ing of
brooding over past disappointments and future anxieties. Remember: The past is gone and can’t
be changed. The future hasn’t gotten
here yet and may not have any resemblance to what you thought when it does get
here. We can only live in and deal with
the here and now!
You can easily
integrate mindfulness into your day. Whatever you’re doing, pause and focus on
your breath. Ask yourself: what are five things I’m grateful for in my
life right now? Your five items
can be anything from having a roof over your head to having a job, your partner
or your health. Or you can be grateful for a comfortable chair or clean sheets!
Chose anything that makes you feel good at that very moment. Those things do not have to be “big ticket”
items. There may not be any financial
value to them at all!
Choosing
gratitude and contentment doesn’t mean being stagnant or giving up. It means
stepping aside from judgment and freeing
yourself from the bonds of negativity.
In your process of implementing this mental readjustment never forget,
however, we’re only human!
QUOTE TO CONSIDER
THOUGHTFUL GEM
"Be grateful for the air you breathe,
without it, you can be grateful of nothing at all!"
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