The Importance of Gratitude

by Scott Allen Barker
(Brainerd, Minnesota)

Although various countries have their own version of Thanksgiving, any time would be the perfect time to practice attitudes of gratitude.

A lot of times, people get dissatisfied with life. This is no wonder since an entire industry seems to be set up just to make people feel inadequate. They say we aren’t rich or thin or hip enough, simply because we do not purchase the newest products in today’s market. Messages ring loud and very clear: nobody can be good enough.

Have you ever uttered the phrase, “If only _____, I would be happier.”? The big problem would be that if everybody gets caught up within such ways of thinking, they will never become happy since there will always be something more that they believe could complete their lives.

Whenever we see our neighbors and friends getting new things, we oftentimes feel poor since we are not always able to afford such luxuries. However, the truth is that we aren’t stricken by poverty; we merely believe that we are poor. This frame of mind is merely relative to whomever it is you compare yourself to.

Now, if you changed your way of thinking and took a look at homeless people, you might realize just how rich you actually are. There is a roof above your head; you have food on your table. Fine. You may not live in your ideal house and perhaps you eat sandwiches instead of caviar; but still, you have food and shelter. It might be hard to believe that a lot of people don’t even have such basic things for their needs.

The majority of people don’t realize the advantages that come with gratitude. Whenever we think about everything we want but do not own, we end up setting ourselves up into a downward disappointment spiral full of negative thinking that could lead to depression and overwork. However, gratitude can lift the spirits and provide clearer concentration on what life truly is about. We can end up content with the things that we have and our attitude can end up bring us spirits of contentment and peace.

Be thankful for every little thing that you possess. Is there a roof above your head? Does somebody love you? Are you in love? Do you get food on the table everyday? Are you healthy? Do you work? Do you own pillows and blankets for warmth? Are you sane? These may be little things; however, we should still be thankful for all of them. It is always possible to find something to be truly grateful for.

Scott Allen Barker is the founder of http://www.MentalHealthDropInCenter.com

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