An Attitude of Gratitude

These days the internet is filled with hundreds of thousands of memes, images, and quotes. They range from motivational, to funny, to the downright ridiculous. Of all of these, there is one that truly is my favorite.

"Gratitude is not having the best but making the best of what you have." If you ask who said it, no one knows, and it is attributed to so many people. There are also so many versions of this, in my mind it all comes down to the same idea. You can't just be grateful when you have everything you desire in life, you need to be grateful for what you have in your life now. Some days when you get out of bed and your body aches more than you can describe in words. It can be hard to find that gratitude.

The benefits of having an attitude of gratitude

What is the point of trying to be grateful when you are feeling like you are feeling!? So much! It truly helps to switch your mind and your way of thinking. If nothing else the positive habit of let’s say, perhaps writing down five things that you are grateful for every day. Or perhaps taking 5 minutes out of your day to look around you and be mindful of the things you have and the space in your life that you are in. It is possible that without these things, or people, or moments, that this journey you are on could be that much harder. Maybe, and just maybe, by doing this you could assist your mind to automatically start highlighting the good you see. If nothing else, maybe this will just improve your mind-set.

Being grateful doesn't mean pain free days

So let’s be real about this for a minute, no matter how grateful you are, no matter how many times a day you count your blessings it is not going to take the pain away, not by any stretch of the imagination. Also remember that being grateful for what you have, does not take away from the journey that you are on. You may be asking, what is the point in doing all of this if it is not going to do anything or change anything? Perhaps you feel that negativity and pain of your condition far outweigh any possible benefit of thinking good things. That may be so, just think, is there anything you have to lose by trying?

What I'm grateful for

I know there may be some of you that by now are rolling your eyes at me. Possibly looking around and thinking that there really is nothing to be grateful for. So here is my list of things that I am grateful for.

• My daughter, my family and the love we have.
• Running water that is clean and drinkable.
• A geyser to heat my water, when my body aches so badly.
• Having a home to sleep in and raise my daughter in.
• Being able to buy my daughter the clothes and medicine that she needs.
• Having access to doctors and medication for myself.
• Having a choice of what to eat at night, or pack for lunch.
• Friends and family that don’t always understand my condition, but have my back regardless.

At the end of the day, the big things in life are truly made up of all the small things. Be kind to yourself. Be grateful for what you have and what you have access too. Even though I work really hard to have these things, it does not make me less grateful.

“This is a wonderful day, I have never seen this one before.” -  Maya Angelou