Gratitude

Gratitude

What prompted me to write this? I spoke to some folks whom seemed bitter about ungrateful people because they have helped these people in the past and yet these same people whom they have helped has turned around and bit them causing them hurt and hardship. It is almost like a sense of betrayal isn't it? This is not new isn't it? After such an experience, those affected by people with ingratitude vowed never to help others. Normal isn't it? When anyone is bitter or in anger. I will try to assuage, urge calm and balance here because people who are not grateful or would betray do not print these words on their foreheads.

There are mosquitoes and houseflies but there will always be butterflies and dragonflies. We can't say we want to go out and kill everything that flies. For the many trials and tribulations we go through, there are many other wonderful people to discover. If we behave like them, then we become like them and are no better.

A Grateful Heart

What is gratitude? Gratitude is gratefulness, thankfulness or simply an appreciation or an acknowledgement of a benefit that one has received or will be receiving. Gratitude is an emotion one feels after one received help but it can be interpreted differently. It could be something so valuable to them or another gave of his life at a great cost to the benefactor, or help given without any ulterior motives. Some people feel more gratitude simply because they value help from others to be more costly and invaluable no matter how small the gestures were compared to those who feels little or no gratitude at all even if the help given were very good or even extreme in proportion to what they deserve.

Indebtedness

Do not mistake gratitude with indebtedness. They are both emotions following help given but when you are placed under obligation or you have to give repayment or compensation it becomes indebtedness. If you are a helper, never place anyone in indebtedness to you as it is not a good relationship. Gratitude motivates the benefactor to seek a good relationship with the one who helps naturally while indebtedness will cause an unnatural relationship putting the recipient under slavery. You become beholden.

Well Being of Being Grateful

Folks who are more grateful are generally happier people with a higher level and greater sense of well being. They are also less stressed and less depressed and have fewer problems with their lives and relationships. Firstly, you will have self acceptance and a greater sense of purpose in life. You will tend to learn and grow from bad experiences in life. You will cope better with difficulties. You will naturally have more positive ways to deal with problems. You are also unlikely to run away from or deny a problem, blame yourself less and not get into substance abuse. You will also most definitely sleep better. A grateful person is also going to be a more generous person. You will share more, show empathy and is a lot more helpful without expecting anything in return when you do offer help. It is because you want to.

How To Be Grateful?

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning and the last thing you do before you sleep? Brush your teeth? Well, that is the second and second last thing you do. The first and last thing you do is to be grateful.

To be a person full of gratitude, you can start small by saying your pleases and thank yous. Do not just expect or ask for help but go out and help others. When you see someone feeling down do something or say something with carefully chosen words that can be uplifting to the spirit.

We humans have an infinite capacity for taking things for granted leading to ungratefulness. Gratitude is a small virtue but ingratitude is one of the worst vices. Thank God for everything you are and everything you have. It could have been a lot worse.

Gratitude Is An Attitude


Quotes

For each morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thoughts and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder - G. K. Chesterton.

The only people you shall try to get even are those who have helped you - John E. Southard.

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say thank you? - Willia, A. Ward.

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was "thank you" that would suffice - Meister Eckhart.

If a person isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he is going to get - Frank A. Clark.

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has - Epictetus.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures - Thornton Wilder.

I feel a very unusual sensation, if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude - Benjamin Disraeli.

If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily - Gerald Good.

There is no greater difference between men than between grateful and ungrateful people - R. H. Blyth.

There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied by such an satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance - Joseph Addison.

The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings - Eric Hoffer.

When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? - George Canning.

The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweeps through the day, and as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! - Henry Ward Beecher.

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert, and the opera, and grace before the play, grace before I open a book, grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip pen in the ink - G. K. Chesterton.

Have a grateful heart everyday and you will be a happier self as you will see things in a different perspective. Even nothing you thought were special that day, feel grateful because what we have everyday is not prevalent in every country, every society, everywhere or is the norm for everyone. Realizing it in a strong and clear manner shall give you peace and humility. Let us cultivate a grateful heart! You will benefit largely from it. Be thankful for the country you live in, the family, loved ones and friends that you have. Be grateful even for every small things. Have a thankful and grateful heart! Thank God for it and you will begin to see all the wonders.