THANKFULNESS

We are snowed in, here, on Laughing Water Farm. It is the first time that I remember,  being snowed in, in April. We have had deep snows in April before, but we waited for the snow to melt, a bit, before venturing out. I think it would be a couple days, if I waited for this batch to melt.

So I do exercise my thankfulness. I am thankful I am in a warm house, with plenty of food. Good water and plumbing, that works. A full liquor cabinet, if a libation is indicated. Hey! I could be holed up here for a month if need be. But I am, also, thankful that I can pick up the phone and call my very friendly plowman, who will be here this afternoon.

Like practicing kindness, practicing thankfulness can be world changing. It certainly changes an individual's perception. It is easy to get into a pattern of grousing; continuing mild complaints about the world. It can start the minute we get up. I didn't sleep enough. I slept too much. I slept wrong and my shoulder hurts. The weather's icky. My throat feels dry. I think I might be coming down with something. There is an endless variety of things we can find to grouse about.

Before trying to practice thankfulness, take an inventory of your personal propensity to complain. Some of these things can become so automatic that you are not aware of how much you are doing it.

Remembering to be thankful can be like magic. It can turn your perception of the world around, like it was on a pivot. Expressing your thankfulness to somebody else can turn the world around for both of you.

Everybody has had the experience of having, somebody turn their face to them, and with a radiating smile say, thank you. It sends warmth through you that can last and last. The event doesn't matter, it can be about the smallest thing. Of course, it has to be genuine, but it is genuine. We are, usually so preoccupied, with that string of nonsense running through our minds, that we don't see that we are thankful. In our human interaction, we are doing things for each other all the time. People help us in the grocery store, they carry out our goods. In the hardware store I go to, the folks are very helpful. They know everything, at least, it seems like it. My wife brings me coffee, some times she does my dishes. All day long there are things I am thankful for.

Giving thanks raises the spirits of the person doing the thanking and confirms the value of the person being thanked. It is just tremendously enriching. Like, acts of kindness, it travels around the world enriching everybody's life.

People need to know how grateful you are for their existence. We enrich each other with our thankfulness. When you catch yourself grousing, use it as an opportunity, to see what your thankful for. 

Love and Peace,  Gregg