About fifty years ago, the spiritual writer Henri Nouwen wrote a short book entitled From Resentment to Gratitude. Since then many psychologists and theologians have expounded upon the benefits of cultivating an attitude of gratitude in our lives. As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week and enter into the holiday season, we might stop and ponder on the benefits of having gratitude in our lives.
I have always found it interesting that the day after Thanksgiving people go into a feeding frenzy of buying and sometimes they become downright nasty after having just celebrated a day of giving thanks for their blessings. We hear of people attacking one another at the mall over a TV or computer. Retail employees hate working the weeks in between Thanksgiving and New Year because of the way customers treat them. In fact, many people become resentful of their families and other humans during a time in which we celebrate blessings and good cheer.
So how do we move from resentment to being more grateful? First, focus on people not possessions. Relationships matter; things do not. Who in your life gives you hope? Who is there for you during the difficult times? Who is your bedrock? Who give you joy and makes life fun?
Second, what activities give you purpose? We all need to work to pay the bills. But what do we do for energy and enlightenment? Is it sports? Do we like being in a musical group? Do we like to try new food or drink? How about traveling to different places? In other words, what makes us enjoy life more?
Third, what irritates us? Or who irritates us? Cut it (or them) out of our lives. Life is too short to have issues. If clutter weighs you down, clean house and get rid of stuff you don’t need. If there are people that are a drag in your life, don’t associate with them any more (and yes, that includes your relatives). If something or someone does not give you life or contribute to your well-being, limit contact or cut it out.
In short, we develop gratitude by associating with those people and those activities that lift us up and make us feel good about life and get us closer to God. When we are grateful, our physical and emotional health improves. When we are more thankful, we sleep better and have more energy, we also have a higher self-esteem. Moreover, gratitude increases our mental strength and energy. We can do more because we feel better about ourselves and others.
So this week, think about how you can develop an attitude of gratitude and in the process become more of the person God intends you to be.
