Have you ever noticed how some people seem to radiate joy, while others just seem to be stuck in a gloomy mood? What’s the deal with that, right?
Is it all about how much money they have? Or maybe it’s just their personalities? Maybe their circumstances are super different from ours?
While those things can play a part, the biggest factor in feeling happy is actually *gratitude*.
Think of gratitude as a superpower that can totally change how you feel about things, even if your life doesn’t actually change. It’s like putting on rose-colored glasses – everything looks a little brighter!
A worldview of doom, gloom, and essentially everything is happening TO ME instead of FROM ME, is a total change in perspective on life. It’s a REACTIONARY LIFE, rather than a CREATION LIFE.
With one, you react to what happens to you and that’s how you flow through life. You live life with the cards you’re dealt in a matter of speaking.
External forces like world and local events, politics, friends, authority figures, economy, etc dictate your life and how you react to said events.
On the other side, you’re grateful for what you have and you’re of the worldview that you can not only ask for one new deck of cards after another but even be the dealer of the cards.
No one event can MAKE YOU do or feel anything unless you allow it. LIFE HAPPENS “AS YOU”! Did you catch that? It’s the law of Cause and Effect.
The big consideration is that you must take responsibility for your life. Let’s face it, most simply love to blame others or things for their life situation. It’s racist, homophobic, transphobic etc and that’s why! While I can’t deny outside forces exist and occasionally, things happen beyond your control, it’s how we deal with them that matters.
It’s that brief moment between an event happening TO US and our reaction to said event that’s critical.
THE SPACE OF POWER
The space is where our power of choice lies. Do we allow gratitude and thankfulness to color our response? Do we say, “It’s those dang _______ or _______ that always do this to me. Just fill in the blank.
Sonja Lyubomirsky, a really smart researcher, said it perfectly: “Gratitude is like medicine for negative feelings. It helps you forget about jealousy, anger, worry, and irritation. It’s all about enjoying the present moment and not taking things for granted.”
That’s the amazing thing about thankfulness. It can make you feel good even when things are tough, and it can help you learn valuable lessons from your experiences. And guess what? Gratitude can even make you healthier, both inside and out! It can also connect you to something bigger than yourself and bring more good stuff into your life.
So, the more you practice gratitude, the more powerful you become! You can totally change how you feel about life. And that’s a pretty awesome superpower to have, wouldn’t you say?
Dr. Gwen Patrone
One Response
Gwen,
I would also say it’s part of the proces of getting older , I’m now 73 , I have to consider how much outside events are going to affect my life for the time I might have left . OK perhaps I’m also resigned to the fact I could do less to change what happens around me , it’s not a case of giving in or surrendering it’s becoming more realistic . We have to evaluate what is important in our lives , what makes us happy or sad personally . Gratitude is important , I was raised to appreciate it but now it’s become more important with age , we never know when we might need help , I try to value people round me . It’s not about seeing the World through ” rose tinted glasses ” it clearly does make the World a better place .
I remember a story from one Xmas , my father was given a grooming gift set containing a hair brush and comb , shaving items and after shave , he was almost bald with a full beard even so he graciously said , ” Just what I always wanted ” .
Sadly I do find it has become more of a blame society , people demand more and show very little gratitude when receiving , kindness and gratitude cost us nothing so why are some so loathed to part with them ?