Photo by Joshua Jung
Due to COVID-19, the world is filled with gloomy news. Families have been experiencing ever increasing conflicts and divorces. The economy is collapsing. Politics is in chaos. In the midst of all these issues, how have you been? How are your emotions? Are your precious children safe?
In my Miracle Words: Planner & Journal , there is something I write down as often as I can. It is gratitude. Gratitude is the practice which helped me changed the most in a positive way. Writing gratitude is like mining for precious jewels hidden in my life. Starting this practice, I made a family ritual. Before going to bed, each member of my family shares three things they were grateful for that day. It was so awkward at first, sometimes feeling obliged. Yet, there are some positive changes have been happened.
When I say ‘Gratitude,’ I am not talking about a one-time event. Gratitude is a practice which we intentionally do every day, every moment, when we are experiencing happiness or sadness, in any circumstances until it becomes our habit which we automatically and naturally do. I was one of the people who are naturally critical rather than grateful. I kept meditating on my pain and the other’s faults. It still happens to me sometimes. Yet, I reset my attitude by writing gratitude down on my journal.
It has been for two years since I started this practice. As a Christian, I was so embarrassed for it was so hard to think of just three things I was thankful for that day. A day became a week, a week became a month, and I couldn’t feel any difference. But I decided to keep doing it because so many people recommended it and said it has wonderful benefits. I wrote my thanksgivings on the next day if I was busy that day. Sometimes, I skipped. I started with three things, then five, and then increased to 10-15.
When I observed myself and my circumstances with more attention, my gratitude increased. I was grateful for the delivered package that arrived safely. I was grateful for arriving at a meeting on time. I was grateful for a politician that worked hard for the nation. After 6 months, I started to feel a couple of subtle changes. Instead of focusing on negative thinking, I began to focusing on the positive thinking. Instead of seeing problems, I tried to find solutions with the affirmation that everything will be great with the help of God. I still find mistakes and shortcomings in myself and others, but I don’t get dismayed.
The benefits of Gratitude are so many. I have been experiencing gradual growth in emotional health, feeling content on my life, belief about my brighter future, efficiency in the work I do, self-esteem, self-motivation, resilience, happiness, anger management, adaptability, problem solving, positive relationships, self-awareness, and sense of safety. I confessed something to my family with tears while playing a game called ‘We are not really strangers.’ I said, “I didn’t think my life was blessed till just a few years ago. I was not happy about being born and living on earth. Yet, since I started writing gratitude, I am grateful for being alive and receiving another opportunity and blessing each day.”
Writing gratitude is not perplexing. It is very simple. You just need to think deeper and broadly for the first few times. It takes time to change your perspective. Various topics can be in your gratitude. You can be thankful for whatever the weather is. When rainy, thank God for providing water where it was needed and for cleaning dirty things with the rain. When sunny, be thankful for the benefit the sunshine gives us. Be thankful for the Vitamin D and that trees make fresh oxygen. Be thankful that you can hear the singing of the birds flying over your head. Be thankful that you can drink clean water. Be thankful that you can walk on the dirt on the trail. Give thanks to God for His wonderful creatures.
Be thankful for the love and service you receive from others. Thank your mom for fixing meals, bearing all the smells of odd ingredients and the physical labor. Thank your daughter for standing strong, working hard under the pressure from her boss and the customers. Thank your friend for he sends you supportive and loving messages, although you can’t see him face to face. Thank your neighbor for picking up garbage on the road and giving you a smile. Thank your husband for walking with you on a scary street in the dark. The ordinary services you get are not for you to take them for granted. When you say “Thank you,” you get to experience relational recovery. Respect and love for each other increases.
Be thankful for what you achieved that day. Even though you thought it was unimportant and meaningless work, be thankful that you cleaned the house. Be thankful that you made the house organized and dustless. Be thankful that you offer small services for others. Be thankful that you have money, time, health and a beautiful heart to do the works. Be thankful that you played an important role at work. Be thankful that you blessed others with the work in which you put your best effort. Be thankful that you are improving and growing every day. Be thankful that you didn’t get discouraged but learned a valuable lesson for your further growth through your failure. Thank God your heavenly Father who loved you and blessed you, so you can be a better person each day.
When you make gratitude your habit, the most important thing you need to remember is not giving up. Don’t curse yourself saying, “Poor me! I knew it! I have nothing to be thankful for” when you have a hard time thinking of what you are grateful for. God loves and blesses each and every one of us. As Jeremiah says, the plan of God is to give us hope and a future. God delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love (Psalms 147:11). Gratitude is our confession about the faith we have in the gracious God. It is our worship which pleases God in our daily lives.
I strongly encourage you to write gratitude. Gratitude is like a magnet which pulls happiness and blessings to you. Isn’t happiness the reason for you to work, learn, and make relationships? Is there any other practice which assures your happiness without any cost other than gratitude? Most people don’t see how valuable it is when something is too easy to do. Yet, I sincerely bless you and would like for you to make a wise choice and practice gratitude, so you will achieve happiness.