Yes, that actually happened!
That dreaded day when the world collapsed before my eyes; when humiliation scored a hundred on a hundred; when I tried to find a reason why, on the hottest day of June, I was half engulfed in plain sight by a filthy open-drain disguised as a shadow.
As I was questioning the heavens, ‘why God, why did this happen to me’ while trying to unsee a crowd in rapture, I was still thankful to all the good folks that got me out of the drain, and helped clean me, however much they could with a hose, gave me directions to a good eye specialist and set me off with a story that I would probably pass on to my grandkids with a smile on my face.
Be it a literal drain or seriously turbulent situations in life that hit you where you hurt the most, remember; that there’s always something to be thankful for, no matter how awful the situation appears at the moment.
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Are You Thankful Enough?
Take a minute and note down everything that is available to you to make your life easier. The table, the chair, the couch, the fridge, the TV, the clothes, the shoes, the towels, the crockery, the food, the phone, and every little thing that surrounds you.
Now rewind your life by 24 hours. How often in these 24 hours have you been thankful for these seemingly everyday things?
Did you feel an ecstatic glee seeing the sunrise, or were you frowning on the pending workload?
Were you relieved that you earn enough to pay your bills and afford a good life, or was your heart pining for the next big raise?
Did you thank your wife today for her love and care, or were you busy complaining about how much weight she has gained and how boring your life has become?
Stop everything and scrutinize your thought patterns. What’s Your Focus? Deficiencies or Blessings?
In all honesty, given the fact that there’s always something to be grateful for, the greater part of readers of this article will agree on the former, that is, deficiencies.
Counting Deficiencies – What Happens In The Absence of Thankfulness
There’s nothing in the world called ‘darkness’… it is only the ‘absence of light’ – Anonymous
Day in and day out, chasing dreams, pushing boundaries, and scaling heights make us reduce the blessings that already surround us to mere trivialities.
Ever wondered why something that we may have been ecstatic about even a month ago becomes so insignificant in the blink of an eye?
So, what makes us count deficiencies over blessings?
The quest for achieving more and better, at the end of the day, perpetuates the feeling of dearth in our deeper subconscious. Other reasons are:
- Gradual invisibility of the little things that once gave us joy,
- trauma experienced in the past,
- being trapped in very difficult situations in life like turbulent relationships and financial crisis,
- critical health issues, and most importantly,
- inability to free ourselves from the ‘victim’ mode that eventually compels us to count deficiencies over blessings.
The Outcome?
Incessant obsession with deficiencies can lead to serious psycho-behavioral issues like:
- Low self-esteem,
- low self-confidence,
- imposter syndrome,
- envy,
- materialism,
- anger,
- substance abuse,
- depression and many more.
In the long run, these psycho-behavioral problems can manifest in the form of poor performance at work, unfulfilling relationships, compromised social life, and a number of health problems like high blood pressure, obesity, blood sugar problems, digestion issues, extreme stress, insomnia, breathing problems; the list goes on.
Why Should You Be Thankful – 10 Research-Backed Benefits
Being thankful boosts the production of feel-good hormones’ dopamine’ and ‘serotonin.’ There couldn’t be an easier way to access these natural antidepressants!
Being ‘thankful’ is a ‘way of life. It is an evolved state of existence where you are 100% mindful of the fact that there’s always something to be thankful for and are aware of the value that everything and everyone that surrounds you adds to your being.
From your friends and family to the couch and that toothpick, you are grateful to everything animate and seemingly inanimate for their contribution to your comfort, joy, and growth.
When you begin to enter this evolved state of existence, you will experience some very positive changes in your personality and your immediate environment.
Here are 10 of such beneficial changes in a nutshell.
Positive Emotional State Becomes Your Default State Of Existence
Being thankful maintains your long-term happiness irrespective of the situations that try your patience.
Wholistic Psychological Restructuring Happens When You Are Thankful
And yes, this includes freedom from the comparison trap and resultant envy. That tackles more than half of the psychological problems faced by people these days.
You Are More Optimistic About Your Life
When you know you have a long list of reasons to be thankful for, you invariably start focusing on positive outcomes in your life.
Imagine wiping your tears with your hands because your spouse can’t afford the diamond you expected, only to walk past a man with no hands-on his way to work! Are you grateful already?
Being Thankful Is An Antidote To Depression
When you wake up knowing how many blessings you are surrounded with, you will have very little to fret about.
You Are Filled With A Sense Of Completeness
Most psychological issues arise from a feeling of incompleteness. You tend to feel there’s something lacking in your life.
The truth is, no one, just NO ONE, has it all! By practicing thankfulness, you will gradually realize that you are complete in every way the universe intends you to be.
Gratitude Makes More Likeable
Humility is the word. When you are thankful, you are humble, and who doesn’t like to be around a genuine, unpretentious human that is brimming with a positive aura?
Deeper And More Fulfilling Relationships
When you are grateful to have a certain someone in your life, you are likely to genuinely care for them and value their presence every single minute of every single day.
Being thankful is, thus, the catalyst to forming stronger, deeper, more meaningful, and fulfilling relationships.
Finding Support In Times Of Needs Becomes Easy
Society willfully helps people that are thankful. This is one reason why people that are grateful often overcome hardships sooner than those that are trapped in counting deficiencies.
Improved Performance At the Workplace
Being grateful always strikes a chord with co-workers and bosses. It creates a comfortable ambiance around the individual which motivates the team to perform better with a clear, positive, and optimistic mindset.
Being free of negative feelings, decision-making and team management are always at their best.
Steady Improvement In Physical Health
Being grateful is directly related to improvement in general health. With the load being lifted from your heart, you will almost immediately experience it.
- Reduced stress and anxiety.
- Better sleep.
- Better heart health.
- Improved gastrointestinal health.
- Enhanced motivation to work out and eat clean.
- Better blood pressure regulation.
- Expedited recovery from innumerable health conditions.
- Freedom of depression and substance abuse.
Fun Ways To Practice Being Thankful?
With little reminders, gentle eye-openers, or a smack on the head, each of us is free to have our own way of waking up to the truth that there’s always something to be thankful for and remember to count our blessings when life pelts a few rotten eggs our way.
For starters, here are a few fun and exciting ways to practice gratitude.
Gratitude Journal
Take a simple notebook and a pen and jot down two lines about what you are grateful for every single day at bedtime. That’s all you need to wake up to the blessings surrounding you.
Say Affirmations Out Loud
Affirmations for being thankful are simple yet extremely powerful ways to manifest positive outcomes in life. Here are a few affirmations you can start with.
- I’m thankful for the abundance I’m blessed with.
- I’m thankful for the love and support of my family and friends.
- I am grateful for a healthy mind and body.
- I thank the Universe for meeting all my needs.
- I’m thankful to be alive, active, and productive.
Gratitude Jar
Take a large cookie jar. Label it as your gratitude bank. As a daily ritual, take a chit of paper, write down what you’re grateful for, and deposit it in your bank. At the end of the month, take them out and read them out loud. The smile on your face will be priceless 😊
Prayers
Praying is a genius way to be thankful to the Universe and the unseen forces that always work towards keeping us earthlings safe, happy, and hopeful. It’s a great way to build your faith and help inculcate invincible positivity and gratitude into your deeper subconscious.
Volunteering and Charity
Wish to see how fortunate you actually are? Try spending a day with those that lack even the basics. Devote a weekend to charity and volunteering and see with your own eyes how much of our blessings we take for granted.
The Bottom Line
Having learned that there’s always something to be grateful for, it’s time to get started with practicing thankfulness. Take your pick from the fun ways to practice being thankful and start ticking the list of benefits that are sure to follow soon after.
Keep us updated with your progress! Let your experiences enrich others too. 😊