The Gratitude List

I was hearing an interesting motivational speaker last week with a focused discussion on the essence of gratitude.  Although many of us hear about how having more of this incrementally will help generate a greater fulfilling and happy life, many people may have a hard time with how to begin to incorporate adding it on a consistent basis.  When you think about what a gratitude list can look like, I believe that one can begin with being thankful for the most basic of things, as your attitude toward having an abundant life is born from there.  Even if your list begins with writing on a small post-it note square, then that is a great beginning compared to not having a list at all.  As I continued listening to the speaker, she touched upon the fact that sometimes we have people in our lives that cause us consternation because of their oppressive nature.  She advised the audience that sometimes one has to at least be grateful that that they are not that person with that type of disposition.  Since I have had my share of experiences with these types of individuals through-out my life I had to laugh out loud and smile, as I knew that what she was saying was very true.  We never know why people treat others with disdain or have a negative attitude that is all consuming.  Perhaps they can justify to themselves that they are holding others accountable, however, the intent behind their actions always speaks to the real truth.  Over the course of my lifetime, I have learned that distance between myself and those types people is a must, because I no longer have to be a willing participant to their antics.  I do get filled with  a feeling of sadness towards these folks, as their potential may not ever be fully realized due to their disposition.  When people have to strike out at others first and live a life of defensiveness, it makes me wonder what happened in their life that caused this reaction to be considered normal.  The behavior of these people always reminds me of school bullies, who at their core were sad and vulnerable outside of their masked anger towards others.  The other point that was brought up in this discussion was that sometimes you will never be able to change others.  However, one can certainly change their mindset regarding those types of people.  If one looks with diligence, anyone can find the right things to be grateful for. Through out my life, I have learned different lessons on gratitude which came in various shapes and sizes.  Because of my chosen disposition, I am even more thankful for the smallest of things that can bring a smile to my face.  I can consider my life filled with abundance that enables me to feel fulfilled and I can step back during any part of a given day to recognize where these instances carve a memorable moment of contemplation for me.  Among the challenges is to have and seek gratitude during trying circumstances because it is then that one has to look for those kernels of appreciation that sometimes are so buried in a given day, that it made makes you wonder if your supply has run out.  As with all things little by little, the revelation of those many examples of why that particular day had those worthwhile moments will shine in the midst of any darkness to show you that the path you are on, is in fact the right one.  We must never forget that through the course of being grateful for the smallest of things, we can learn to realize a life that is filled with more inner peace and filled with those important items that ultimately matter most to us.