I sat out on the back patio before dinner, watching the last remnants of the sunset.
My thoughts wandered — as they are prone to doing — towards this rather common human behavior of engaging in a tirade of complaints about everything that is wrong and everything that is missing from their lives.
I'll be the first to admit that there are things that feel like they are currently "missing" from our life, and that would certainly make our existence a lot easier if they were present, but they are not something I choose to focus a lot of attention on.
In contrast, some people out there seem to make a virtual career out of complaining about everything that's missing and everything that's not going the way they want it to go. And they miss no opportunity to share that opinion with all within earshot!
As the years go by, I find it increasingly difficult to actually stop and listen to their laments and complaints. And it makes me wonder if they ever stop — for even a few moments — to be grateful for the fact that they (for example) have a roof over their head, and a car that drives, and food on their dinner table tonight.
It seems so many have been taught — whether by marketing, or by society in general — that we must at all times strive to have more, and if we're satisfied even for a moment it's clearly time to look for an upgrade!
From where I'm sitting, that looks more like a sickness than anything else!
And the sad thing is that even if those people did get the things they felt were missing, they'd soon enough be lacking something else!
I think my own "gratitude practice" was largely inspired by my auntie back in Denmark, who always seemed so content with her life as it were.
I remember various cousins trying to "impose" new things on her because her ways seemed so "old fashioned" to them, and she always politely declined and explained that her life would really not be any better as a result of having some new gadget "no elderly person should be without."
I suppose I have long been a "lousy consumer" because I haven't felt motivated by the whole "latest and greatest" tendency of our world. Like I am grateful for our working and paid for 2003 model year vehicle, without walking around with constant wishing that we had a new car. What for? The one we have is perfectly adequate!
And I am grateful for that!
What are you grateful for, today?
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2026.09.07 00:59 PDT
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