Short Version

Gratitude is good.

Express it more often. (note to self)

Long Version

Gratitude is first and foremost a sort of glue that holds society together.

Have you ever assembling a plastic model without enough glue?

The quantity of this glue matters, as does the quality.

Gratitude – some of us need (to express) more of it.

Some may say ‘gratitude is in short supply today’ usually with a bitter look on their face… #irony.

Hmm, where does gratitude originate?

In these inflationary times; has the cost of extracting gratitude risen?

Is there a supply shortage?

Perhaps.

Why?

Time.

More precisely the feeling of a general lack of time.

Time, running short.

Time, running out.

Basically we seem to have more ‘to-do’s’ than we have today’s.

But in this life; what truly matters?

Gratitude

A case can be made for the high value of gratitude.

What exactly is gratitude?

Is it a thing we do, a thing we say, a thing we feel, a thing we simply ‘are’?

Perhaps it’s all of these things… and more.

I’d suggest gratitude is recognition of other people having played a part in us landing where we have.

Specifically when where we’ve landed is for the better.

I’m where I am in life, the better slices, due to thousands upon thousands of kind actions by kind souls.

I know this.

I know it wasn’t luck, nor ‘hard work’ – although these things play a crucial role in anyone’s success, it was in fact the kindness of strangers, as much as those who know us well, that got us to where we needed to be in life.

As for the not-so-nice slices of life, the root of these bits is rarely someone else, perhaps not even ourselves. Sometimes life does just hand us a bad break, or three, or thirty-three.

Bad luck is also a thing.

And yet; dwelling, assigning blame, or otherwise ruminating (allowed for ten seconds or so) just isn’t the prudent option.

Forgive, forget, move forward with gratitude, for having the gift, the ability, and option to move forward is a wonderful thing. Choose to move forward, and let that shit go!

I’m aware that I personally don’t invest enough time being in a general state of gratitude. It’s just not my default state of mind, although I come around to it many times per day. No, my default state is to instead be in a somewhat permanent state of ‘problem-solving’.

To the point that I gloss over the thank-you’s, skipping to whatever the problem part of the conversation might be. ‘Let’s get working on fixing this’ – being my nature.

Often it’s about fixing something that someone else may not really think is broken.

Thus, I’m grateful I don’t get punched in the nose, as it too often winds up in other people’s business.

I do hear the thank-you’s though, and I do appreciate them.

It’s that virtuous circle that pushes me to pull over to help out with a broken down VW camper van (is there any other sort), to hand out a $20.00 bill to someone on the street who needs it more than I, or my sweater, or both, perhaps that’s my expression of gratitude for having some spare time, money… and sweaters.

Probably each person reading this also has spare time, money (twenty bucks?), and sweaters?

Think about the extra stuff you have, it’s really just inventory on hand to do favours for others.

Despite what the media may present, we are inherently driven to help one another, not harm each other.

We will help others, total strangers in fact, even at a cost to ourselves of time, money, or our own health. This’s because deep down we know we’re paying something forward, that at some point in the future it’ll be us that needs assistance.

We are, each of us, just a moment of time, a few kind words, an un-needed sweater, away from turning just about any stranger into a friend, perhaps even an ally if need be.

Gratitude is intrinsic.

The supply of gratitude is unlimited.

Other than by choice.

Choose gratitude.

Our life experience shapes how we experience and express gratitude. As such our children are watching us (as always) and they’re modeling our behaviours (as always), so to suggest our child is ungrateful, well that might just require a look in the mirror… and if we have a case of RBF staring back at us… well ya.

We can always be better.

The Good News

Science tells us that expressing gratitude improves our mental and physical health, boosts general optimism levels, and takes us out of the material world we so often occupy, among other positive benefits.

In fact this post is so damn long because I’m trying to avoid burnout – another side-benefit of regularly expressing gratitude. If the upside of a gratitude journal is real (it is) then there must be upside in a ‘gratitude-post’ (there is).

Go to bed grateful, and win yourself a better nights sleep.

Wake up grateful, and win yourself a better (or at least easier) day.

Decrease depression, increase resilience, all by expressing gratitude.

The more we express gratitude, the more we will find the relatives of gratitude entering our lives as well;

• Patience
• Humility
• Wisdom

More thank-you’s given may well be the path to well…  more better.

More of the generally good things we like to have in our lives.

‘we get what we give’ – Bono

And so, to you dear reader, I give thanks.

Happy Turkey, Tur-duck-en, or Tofurkey day!

No judgement.

Just gratitude.

DW