Giving Thanks
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~Melody Beattie
While it seems pretty obvious that gratitude is a positive emotion, psychologists for decades rarely delved into the science of giving thanks. But in the last several years they have, learning in many experiments that it is one of humanity's most powerful emotions. It makes you happier and can change your attitude about life, like an emotional reset button.
Especially in hard times, like these. It is not the happy who are thankful, it is the thankful who are happy.
More than ever, we humans need a way to sort of hijack our emotional system and get someplace positive for a change. We give ourselves an endorphin rush, just by being truly thankful for something.
And I do have a lot to be thankful for. A wife who loves me, two adult children of whom I am fiercely proud, a decent job in these tough times, a roof over my head, and so on.
But I am also thankful for some odd things, taking a different tack on what I am thankful for this year:
I am thankful that I ache when I get out of bed
because I then know that I am not yet dead.
Bum knees, bad back, arthritis in my hands,
so the pain that others feel I completely understand.
I am glad that I need to lose some of my weight
Because millions starve, but at least I ate.
And thanks for the ability to give something back
so I know that others will be able to snack.
I am pleased that I still carry so much debt
because it means that I still have reason to sweat.
And even though my job is really kind of lousy
at the end of the day I have toiled until I’m drowsy.
I am thankful for the fact that my ex is so bitter,
a solid-state, free-style hatred transmitter,
with love for nobody and nothing but money,
which is why I so love my new wife, she's a honey.
Thank you Lord, for giving me a temper so short,
so my emotions never hide, as I tend to report.
Everyone always knows exactly where I stand
especially when things do not go as I planned.
I am thankful for each and every one of my worries
from deadlines to traffic or impending snow flurries,
because they remind me that what I do does matter,
for life means little when handed to you on a platter.
But mostly dear Lord, I am thankful for pain
because for every loss there is always a gain.
That which does not kill, makes me a better man
and I will fight to the end, at least that’s the plan.
While it seems pretty obvious that gratitude is a positive emotion, psychologists for decades rarely delved into the science of giving thanks. But in the last several years they have, learning in many experiments that it is one of humanity's most powerful emotions. It makes you happier and can change your attitude about life, like an emotional reset button.
Especially in hard times, like these. It is not the happy who are thankful, it is the thankful who are happy.
More than ever, we humans need a way to sort of hijack our emotional system and get someplace positive for a change. We give ourselves an endorphin rush, just by being truly thankful for something.
And I do have a lot to be thankful for. A wife who loves me, two adult children of whom I am fiercely proud, a decent job in these tough times, a roof over my head, and so on.
But I am also thankful for some odd things, taking a different tack on what I am thankful for this year:
GIVING THANKS
I am thankful that I ache when I get out of bed
because I then know that I am not yet dead.
Bum knees, bad back, arthritis in my hands,
so the pain that others feel I completely understand.
I am glad that I need to lose some of my weight
Because millions starve, but at least I ate.
And thanks for the ability to give something back
so I know that others will be able to snack.
I am pleased that I still carry so much debt
because it means that I still have reason to sweat.
And even though my job is really kind of lousy
at the end of the day I have toiled until I’m drowsy.
I am thankful for the fact that my ex is so bitter,
a solid-state, free-style hatred transmitter,
with love for nobody and nothing but money,
which is why I so love my new wife, she's a honey.
Thank you Lord, for giving me a temper so short,
so my emotions never hide, as I tend to report.
Everyone always knows exactly where I stand
especially when things do not go as I planned.
I am thankful for each and every one of my worries
from deadlines to traffic or impending snow flurries,
because they remind me that what I do does matter,
for life means little when handed to you on a platter.
But mostly dear Lord, I am thankful for pain
because for every loss there is always a gain.
That which does not kill, makes me a better man
and I will fight to the end, at least that’s the plan.
-----
©2011 Christopher Reilley
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I am with you on the value of gratitude. Last night I lay in bed listening to the howling gale, so thankful for the roof over my head. It also gives us greater empathy (for example, for those who do not have a home). I loved your poem and had to smile at the description of your ex-wife as 'a solid-state, free-style hatred transmitter,' - such characters are best avoided, if possible!
ReplyDeleteA generous pouring of insight and gratitude. I really enjoyed reading your intro as well . Intriguing that gratitude has been overlooked in the past by psychologists. It holds so much power for the trajectory of our lives.
ReplyDeleteLove all the things that seems bad, there is always that silver lining I think
ReplyDeleteThis is incredibly heartfelt! Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you had a wonderful day 💝💝
ReplyDeleteVery well written! We have so much to be thankful for as you shared in your positive post!
ReplyDelete