What do I have to be grateful for?

Anyone getting a little fed up of those often quoted ditties ‘Be grateful’ and ‘Practice gratitude’? I know I was. Just another couple of glib sayings to add to the ever expanding list of happy clappy fashionable quotes. You know, the ones that everyone loves to say but never really follows.

So, what springs to mind when you hear the word gratitude?

Say the word gratitude to a lot of people and they envision alien type people with whom they have nothing in common, sat crossed legged, humming a bit and focusing deeply on ‘whatever it is they focus on that makes them feel grateful’. Suggest ‘being grateful’ to some and you’ll likely get back ‘What do I have to be grateful for? My job sucks, I have no money, my car broke down last week………..’

As for me, when I hear someone say that it makes me feel pretty hacked off to be honest. Yeah, life is crap sometimes, I get it. Life can be more than crap sometimes and I know there are a lot of people with bigger things weighing them down than a shitty job and dodgy motor. I am not suggesting everyone should ‘put up and shut up’ though. I would say to anyone who hates their job to do everything they can to get the feck out of it, but it will be a lot easier putting up with the crap in the meantime by having a go at being a bit grateful from time to time. It can often feel like there’s naff all to be grateful for but, whatever is going on in your life, there ALWAYS is. It 100% depends on what YOU choose to focus on.

For one thing, you’re alive; always a step up from not being. Chances are you have a roof over your head, running water, food to eat. If you’re really lucky you’ll have 1 or 2 good people who love you or you can call your friends. Perhaps a family member or two that you can depend on.

There really is always something to be grateful for, it’s just about shifting your focus.

Yeah, your job ain’t great, but you have one. Or, your job ain’t great, but you have the ability to change it, if you really wanted to. It doesn’t pay all the bills but it pays some of them. Your job ain’t great but you didn’t smother your boss today so you won’t be going to prison any time soon. If you did smother your boss today, you know the number; hand yourself in.

I’m guessing you get the picture. I really don’t want to get all preachy on this but I can’t stress enough what a massive difference a bit of daily ‘gratitude’ makes. Dig deep every day and find something to be grateful for.

You see, the brain is a bitch sometimes – has a little habit of believing everything you tell it. If you think everything in your life is bad, your brain will take your word for that and pretty much continue to point out more things that prove your point. It will shut down from seeing good stuff cos you’re not teaching it to see any of it. Once you start to look for things to be happy about you’ll not only find them, your brain will learn to look out for other things that put a smile on your face instead of that frown that’s giving you premature wrinkles.

This gratitude lark doesn’t need some big gesture to make it work.

No need to sit cross legged with your eyes closed, repeating a list of things you’re grateful for in your head. Unless that’s your thing of course. If I’m honest, it’s sometimes mine; depending on how I’m feeling on any given day. Other days I can’t be arsed with that. On those days it can be just as simple as looking at my cats, smiling and thinking ‘I’m so grateful you’re still here and I get to have you around for another day’. Or getting in the shower and thinking how grateful I am that I can stand up on my own; can feel the water splashing on my skin. My body works. For the best part anyway, my ropey left knee leaves a bit to be desired but hey ho.

Yep, some days it takes a bit of effort to think of things I’m grateful for, normally because I’m in the midst of a (thankfully brief) one woman pity party. But on those days I persevere because I know just a bit of focus on what I do have rather than what I don’t will flip my entire outlook on the day ahead and, in turn, my brain will show me more of the things I’m so blessed to have.