With Thanksgiving being today I feel a need to muse on gratitude. There is plenty of stuff online about the benefits of gratitude but I would just like run a stream of consciousness about why I'm grateful. There will probably be some acknowledgements of thanks, but I just want to pants this. Free form writing can bring out things that structured prose doesn't always allow. Sometimes this is a good thing - sometimes not.
In any event, I see gratitude as an acknowledgement of that which we appreciate, often obtained through the help of others or as a gift, i.e. through means beyond our choice and control. We may ask for things but the gratitude comes form the receiving of our request be the free will of another. Most often expressed using the phrase, "Thank you."
There are a number of things that I get from being gracious. Humility is probably at the top of the list. By being grateful to others I acknowledge my own limitations. In addition, because acts deserving gratitude are given by another's free will I can be humbled by others' trust or dedication to me. This is the reason I am very grateful for my wife - because she voluntarily sticks around and hasn't killed me yet. I am grateful for my children and the way that they act and think. I've tried to teach them, even to condition them, but the choice is ultimately theirs. The fact that my children want me to give them hugs and kisses at bed time and tell me that they love me really drives me to humility as I am a very imperfect person and yet, somehow, my children feel that I am deserving of their love.
Gratitude also gives me closer relationships with friends and family. This is imply an extension of common politeness. Being around someone who is not gracious can be draining and not pleasant, particularly when you're working on something together. Ungrateful people tend to be a little more self-centered or egotistical. Sometimes people just don't feel that people need to thank them, and so following the golden rule they don't thank others. Often these people are already close friends or I've arrived at an understand with them for working purposes. However, I've found that when I'm more free with my thanks it increases the strength of my relationship with others. A sincere "thank you" can help strengthen those bonds that you consider the most important. I cannot stress what it has done to strengthen the relationship with my wife.
When I express my gratitude I find that I am generally a much happier person. My day appears a little more bright and my experiences tend to be more positive. For whatever reason this is, I enjoy the fact that with a simple and relatively small act I can increase my general well being. Also, by being active with my gratitude I see more opportunities to express it. It's amazing what you can find yourself thankful for even when you're going to difficulty.
I also feel fortunate that as a man of faith I can always thank my Heavenly Father that is God for those things that I have that have come to me by chance, circumstance, or even my own efforts. I believe that anyone can achieve great achievements through diligent work and focus and I believe that those opportunities are given to us by God. It was He that brought us to live upon this earth and established our history and abilities. I believe that He has given us the agency to choose our paths and that he is a fair and just God who loves us like I love my own children. Just as I provide opportunities for my children to attend school, play, and learn it is up to them to actually do so and to make the most of their experience. I am proud of every achievement my children accomplish and if they don't thank me for providing the opportunity because they are too busy making the most of it, I can understand that. Still it's very nice when they let me know how much they appreciate the opportunity. I feel that our gratitude to God is the same. There may be things that we receive directly from him - my son surviving being born 27 weeks early with minimal difficulty was a miracle of both medical and divine power. I thank God for my son every time I see him. I also thank God for the opportunity to meet my wife and have children. I still had to do the looking, the courting, and the wedding, but I am still thankful to God that the opportunity was there.
I am very thankful for my life which was initiated by a loving God, influenced by family and friends, and enhanced by the wonderful opportunities that I've had. I am able to tell how grateful I should be by how happy I am. And I am very happy.
In any event, I see gratitude as an acknowledgement of that which we appreciate, often obtained through the help of others or as a gift, i.e. through means beyond our choice and control. We may ask for things but the gratitude comes form the receiving of our request be the free will of another. Most often expressed using the phrase, "Thank you."
There are a number of things that I get from being gracious. Humility is probably at the top of the list. By being grateful to others I acknowledge my own limitations. In addition, because acts deserving gratitude are given by another's free will I can be humbled by others' trust or dedication to me. This is the reason I am very grateful for my wife - because she voluntarily sticks around and hasn't killed me yet. I am grateful for my children and the way that they act and think. I've tried to teach them, even to condition them, but the choice is ultimately theirs. The fact that my children want me to give them hugs and kisses at bed time and tell me that they love me really drives me to humility as I am a very imperfect person and yet, somehow, my children feel that I am deserving of their love.
Gratitude also gives me closer relationships with friends and family. This is imply an extension of common politeness. Being around someone who is not gracious can be draining and not pleasant, particularly when you're working on something together. Ungrateful people tend to be a little more self-centered or egotistical. Sometimes people just don't feel that people need to thank them, and so following the golden rule they don't thank others. Often these people are already close friends or I've arrived at an understand with them for working purposes. However, I've found that when I'm more free with my thanks it increases the strength of my relationship with others. A sincere "thank you" can help strengthen those bonds that you consider the most important. I cannot stress what it has done to strengthen the relationship with my wife.
When I express my gratitude I find that I am generally a much happier person. My day appears a little more bright and my experiences tend to be more positive. For whatever reason this is, I enjoy the fact that with a simple and relatively small act I can increase my general well being. Also, by being active with my gratitude I see more opportunities to express it. It's amazing what you can find yourself thankful for even when you're going to difficulty.
I also feel fortunate that as a man of faith I can always thank my Heavenly Father that is God for those things that I have that have come to me by chance, circumstance, or even my own efforts. I believe that anyone can achieve great achievements through diligent work and focus and I believe that those opportunities are given to us by God. It was He that brought us to live upon this earth and established our history and abilities. I believe that He has given us the agency to choose our paths and that he is a fair and just God who loves us like I love my own children. Just as I provide opportunities for my children to attend school, play, and learn it is up to them to actually do so and to make the most of their experience. I am proud of every achievement my children accomplish and if they don't thank me for providing the opportunity because they are too busy making the most of it, I can understand that. Still it's very nice when they let me know how much they appreciate the opportunity. I feel that our gratitude to God is the same. There may be things that we receive directly from him - my son surviving being born 27 weeks early with minimal difficulty was a miracle of both medical and divine power. I thank God for my son every time I see him. I also thank God for the opportunity to meet my wife and have children. I still had to do the looking, the courting, and the wedding, but I am still thankful to God that the opportunity was there.
I am very thankful for my life which was initiated by a loving God, influenced by family and friends, and enhanced by the wonderful opportunities that I've had. I am able to tell how grateful I should be by how happy I am. And I am very happy.
No comments:
Post a Comment