Gratitude as a Super Power

Do you see the spiky cactus
or the beautiful heart? 
It's all about perspective.

Gratitude as a Super Power

Take a minute in your life to listen to the language in your home and your circle.  Do you do life from the perspective of being grateful or entitled?  Reframing is a huge part of a successful life.  This can help us mentally switch, which is the first step, in orienting our mindset correctly.  For example, instead of saying "I have to do ____ today," the subtle shift of wording to "I get to do ____ today" is powerful.  In the Danish Way of Parenting (a great book, by the way) by Jessica Alexander and Iben Sandahl, they talk repeatedly about the focus on stopping to reframe the conversation, and by association the narrative we view the world through with our children.  As that shift in language...and attitude...become more habitual, I'd argue, we become more grateful and overall, live a happier life.  

A brief personal example relating to the Henry Ford quote, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right" applied to gratitude.  We live in a 50-year-old home that we poured blood/sweat/tears into the remodel, we've got three cars that when you add up their ages qualify for AARP, and we've never had a salary north of $80,000.  We also are financially secure, have traveled extensively, and live largely on our terms.  I'd argue, and firmly believe, we are ridiculously blessed.  If you look at our parking lot at work, full of many brand new cars, heading to "the" new subdivision, I think a lot of folks at work would look down on our situation.  As has been said, "our perception becomes our reality" and whether we think we're blessed...or not....we're right.  Blessed is often in the eye of the beholder.   

We've discussed how comparison is often the thief of joy.  In our modern-day culture with immediate gratification around every click of a smartphone, it's easy to see what we don't have instead of focusing on what we do.  The old adage of "happiness is wanting what we have" rings true today, perhaps more than ever.  When you think about all that we take for granted, it is beyond ridiculous.  A recent conversation about "richer than Rockefeller" reminded us that most everyone in our modern first-world has access to climate control, safe drinking water, on-demand entertainment, affordable rapid travel, and so forth...mostly none of which were around for even our most wealthy a generation or two ago.  

Real life is usually pretty muddy.

When we look at our airbrushed social media counterparts, no longer is our audience for comparison out the kitchen window but all those around the world. This widening aperture for us to compare ourselves to and against leaves us wanting on a grander scale than ever before.  Our ancestors hunting and gathering their way across the wilderness likely didn't take time or energy to grouch about what their camp mate had, let alone someone else halfway around the world.  Our hyper-in-tune social media feeds pump HD feeds of everything we're lacking right past our noses in real time...but the choice to keep turning it on really is up to us...all of those devices do have an off switch.  

On the flip side of "thief of joy," take a minute to look at those around the world, or better yet, take a trip somewhere around the world that falls into the "third-world" category.  In a recent post by www.SportOfMoney.com, the author points out that the median income in the US for 2021 is $70,784...this means on an international scale, you'd be in the top 4% of the world for income.  Traveling exposes you to some of the unique blessings that you likely overlook, especially when you're looking through various social media lenses.  

Recently, I was watching an old film about the hardships of previous generations, particularly during the pre-WWII eras of the Depression, Dust Bowl, and such.  We often view ourselves in the "present" context as opposed to a "historical" context.  I had a "kid" working for us a year or so ago who was complaining about his inability for him and his wife to "make it" financially.  Both drove brand new cars with heavy payments, wore nice clothes, talked about all the dinners they went out to, and lamented they couldn't afford their dream home...all right out of college.  According to www.PropertyShark.com, a 2010 home vs a 1910 home is 74% larger and personal living space has swelled some 211%.  When we look laterally across peers vs chronologically across generations, we feel "behind" instead of light years ahead...which feeds are ingratitude attitude.  

Before we wrap up, I think it's critical to stop briefly on a sad and worsening macro trend we're seeing in our world as church and faith seemingly continue to shrink.  We're increasingly bombarded with the message that "there is no truth."  At every level, it seems like we're being told if you don't like this or that...just change it.  From plastic surgery to end-of-course exams, truth is rapidly falling by the wayside.  I'd say that it is likely no coincidence that as God is being pushed from our communities by woke narratives, we're also seeing all-time high records of suicide, depression, anxiety and so many other negative life outcomes.  Just recently "deaths of despair" collaborated to bump our overall life expectancy down en masse.  The point here is, when was the last time you saw anyone publically acknowledge and thank God for the blessings they have?  When was the last time you said, "Thank God for this..."?  

For our family, we've noticed that we often feel closest to our Creator when we're out in nature and creation.  Increasingly, in our urbanized world where more and more of us live in a comfort-on-demand metropolis, we distance ourselves from the magical views and perspectives found when we remove our manmade luxuries.  I know, for our family, when we're out hiking in the mountains, laying under the stars, or gazing at the vastness of the ocean we're humbled by our place in all of it.  When we're out and away from the rat race our urban centers create, the conversation much more often turns to "thank God for this, for that, for us, for me."  Look for those little moments, they don't have to be glamorous...maybe shouldn't be glamorous...that's likely a good start if you're searching for what a blessing looks like.  

To try to summarize and close this article, I'd premise that we feel better, and life is more full and grander when we appreciate what we have.  When we surround ourselves with those who espouse gratitude, its contagious nature rubs off on us.  When we view ourselves as the catalyst and owner of our ability to become more grateful, we do so.  Be grateful...I'm positive you have a lot to be thankful for right under your noses...I know we sure do.  

With you in the arena, from ours to yours...Happy Trails!

Call to Action: 

• Make a list of three things you take for granted in your life that you should be/are thankful for
• 1 - ___________________
• 2 - ___________________
• 3 - ___________________
• Thank God for what He has entrusted to you (life, family, responsibility, etc)
• Look for opportunities to catch yourself and your family members' language...then reframe it
• Tell three people in your circle why you're grateful for them
• Discussion: Consider what you/your family could/would/should (level of commitment) and start/stop/sustain (action)

Further Reading, Motivation, and References:

http://thedanishway.com/

https://www.sportofmoney.com/how-rich-are-americans-on-a-global-scale-very-rich/

https://www.propertyshark.com/Real-Estate-Reports/2016/09/08/the-growth-of-urban-american-homes-in-the-last-100-years/

Discussion: Consider what you/your family could/would/should (level of commitment) and start/stop/sustain (action)