It only takes minutes of watching the local news to realize that I should be extremely grateful. It was only days ago in a local Canadian City that a young couple, out on a date, were hit by a car while waiting for a bus. Both people were killed, leaving behind three young girls. It's these moments in life that make me pause and realize how grateful I should be - I grew up with both parents in my life and my children still have them to enjoy as part of their lives. It's at those moments that my heart goes out to those children who will suddenly face the reality of losing something they were so grateful for, as they are faced with a sudden tragedy.
News like this occurs every day, all over the world. But, aside for feeling strong emotions of pain, empathy and sadness, we should also be reminded of why we should be grateful for the lives we are living. Life is short. It's important to notice they things in your life that make you smile. It's very easy to take things for granted like food, water, shelter, friends and family. Sadly, it seems we are only grateful for these things when we are struck by disasters.
It's easy to be grateful when you get a raise, buy a new car or win on a scratch ticket, but we often forget that those aren't the most important things in our lives. What about the people around us? I have a friend that says everyday she is grateful for her coworkers. Why? Because they have patience and she doesn't, so they are able to calm her down and get her back on track when things get too hectic.
For me, I am always grateful of my family. I recognize that my wife and son survived a car accident they shouldn't have. So each day, I wake up happy to see them again. I'm also grateful that I have a daughter who cares and makes pillows for people in need of comfort. And that when her teacher passed away from cancer, she was told of the impact she had made with her presents. I am also grateful that each day I can wake up, go to work and make a difference in someone's life that needs it.
It's not only these gifts that I cherish. I am grateful that I have the gift of laughter, and that each day I try my hardest to enjoy the things I have, always keeping a positive outlook on the situations I am faced with.
People are grateful for different things, for different reasons. Appreciation, gratitude and love are positive and uplifting expressions. So it stands to reason that the more you avail yourself to these things the more optimistic and confident you will be. Start small by being thankful for one thing each day - even if it's the simplicity of coming home to an adventuring two year old that erases all of your stress at the end of a long work day.
It's a simple practice we should all participate in - gratitude. On that note, I'll leave you with a great quote from Oprah Winfrey: "Be thankful for what you have and you will end up having more. But if you concentrate on what you don't have, you'll never, ever have enough."
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