5 REALISTIC REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT TODAY!
Everywhere you turn, there is advice about giving thanks on a daily basis, and that’s not a bad thing! While we are all grateful for all of the blessings that we have, sometimes it takes a little more than just an attitude of gratitude to uplift one’s mood. And with the current injustices and the global health pandemic, it is getting harder each day to be grateful.
It’s not that you are not thankful, but sometimes it can be hard to feel joy for all your good fortune when others around you may be less fortunate or if you are dealing with a tough period in your life. That’s being human, not ungrateful. While I believe there is always something to be grateful about, here are some lesser known blessings to remind you of all of the good fortune in your life. Gratitude is everywhere, just keep your mind, eyes and ears open.
Thankfully, You are alive!
Enough said. No one can accomplish anything from a grave.
Thankfully, You are healthy!
Not only are you living and breathing, you are doing it independently without the help of a man-made machine or nurses and doctors. There are some people that suffer from illnesses that require the help of a machine to breathe, eat or even use the restroom, all of the daily actions that you can do without help on your own. Others are confined to hospitals for weeks and cannot enjoy a walk outdoors or even sit outside without a doctor’s consent, due to illness and disease. Can you imagine living life where your level of health dictates every single action you take, every day? You may not like the way your body looks but always be grateful for all your body enables you to do (walk, talk, see, lift, drive, read, breathe, etc.) Remember how blessed you are that can do whatever you feel like doing because you are in good health?
You may not be doing what you want at the moment but you are healthy. Money cannot buy good health and good health allows you the freedom to do whatever you like.
Thankfully, You have free will to choose what you want to do.
No matter how bleak things may be, as long as you are alive you can choose your attitude and mindset. No matter what hate exists in this world, take joy in the fact that you have the freedom to choose your thoughts. No one can control your thoughts but you.
Thankful for the problems that you DO NOT have!
Some days we wake up and all we think about are our problems: what we lack, what we still don’t have, what we still have not done. It is enough to depress you, if you let it. But if think about the problems that you DON’T HAVE, it truly uplifts your spirit. When you truly reflect on the problems that you do not have, you find a renewed joy and lasting gratitude about your present life.
No money to buy lunch today at work? At least you have food at home and a fridge that belongs to you, that you can open and eat from at any time, in order to bring food from home.
Hate your job and/or commute? Thank goodness you have a job to go to! Imagine how many people have to drive or take public transportation for hours in a pandemic, just to go on interviews, face rejection and do it over and over until they secure a job. And thank goodness that you do not have to walk to work, by foot! And if you work by home then that is a blessing!
Feel alone, lacking support from family and friends? Thank goodness that you have yourself! Who says that you can’t begin by spending time with yourself and getting to know you? Instead of dwelling on a lack of company, find a small way to begin enjoying your own company? Make a date with yourself to get to know you all over again, at home with things that give your pleasure. Thank goodness you have a home of your own where you have the freedom to lock your door and be alone. There are people who are homeless that do not have the luxury of privacy, let alone a room of their own, so thank goodness that you have a home to call you own.
Thankfully, Your past mistakes do not dictate your future!
How blessed are we that we are given grace and mercy, even when we do not deserve it. If we were judged and treated exactly based on the mistakes that we have made, the hurt (whether intentional or not) we have caused others or just poor choices made due to lack of knowledge, preparation or resources, we would all be in trouble! None of us are perfect and it is worth being grateful that we are allowed to live and learn without exact and immediate penalty. While this is not an excuse to make poor choices or to mistreat others, it is worth reflecting on how truly wonderful it is that we are able to give and experience forgiveness as well as grow from our mistakes.