“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” ~Zig Ziglar
As we approach Thanksgiving this week and with all the turmoil going on in the world, it might be a little bit tougher to focus on being thankful this year. That said, I cannot think of a better time to shift our focus so that we can focus on what is good and all that we have.
One of the things I love most about Albert Einstein is that, at times, he was able to to simplify some of the most complex questions or dilemmas we face in our lives. Here is what he said about how we view the world, “One of the most important decisions we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe!”
Simple, right?
What he’s saying is that you have two choices when it comes to how you view the world and what you believe it. Which, by the way will determine not only what you believe and think, but also the actions you take or don’t take, and therefore the results you receive in your life.
According to Albert, you can choose to live from a place of love or a place of fear!
Albert on Gratitude
Here’s what Einstein said about gratitude, “There are only two ways to live your life. One as though nothing is a miracle. The other as though everything is a miracle.” Again simple! You have two choices, you can either be ungrateful about most things in life, or you can be extremely grateful for even the littlest of things.
According to Einstein our happiness comes down to how we per- SEE-eve the world around us.
The truth is that sometimes our lenses get smudged or dirty. We can become cynical with age, especially if life hasn’t always delivered to us what we want or think we deserve. I believe the last few years in our country has brought this issue to light in a very magnified way.
Cleanse the Lens
Interesting Thought: Think about how much time you spend cleaning the screens (lenses) of your glasses, laptop, cell phone, or tablet?
And yet, how often do we take the time to clean the lenses by which we view the world, especially from the perspective of gratitude.
So is it possible, that your lenses may have gotten a little smudged? With all the negativity, divisiveness, and bad news being thrown at us, is it time to wipe your lenses clean so that you can see the world a bit clearer and with a sense of gratitude and what is good? Instead of what is always wrong?
Maybe this week is the perfect time to do a little lens cleaning?
5 Ways to Refocus on Gratitude:
If your lenses you view the world through need a little cleaning, here are 5 things you can do to cleanse your lenses with gratitude:
- Go to a animal shelter and hang out. Take some of the dogs or cats out out and play with them for awhile. Notice how happy they are to get a little love and attention, and all you did was throw a ball or scratch an ear!
- Go to a homeless shelter and volunteer for a few hours this week, so you can see how grateful those are who are less fortunate than you feel, just because you listened to them. They just need to know that somebody cares…even if it’s for a short while.
- Go to a nursing home and spend a few hours with some of the folks who never get visitors. Ask them their story and watch their faces light up because you showed interested in them. Knowing in the back of your mind…that could be the last time they ever tell their story to anyone.
- Call and reach out to a friend or relative whom you haven’t spoken with in a while just to let them know you were thinking of them.
- Invite a friend or neighbor to Thanksgiving dinner who you know will be alone.
Sometimes we simply need other living beings to reflect back to us what we most need to see for ourselves.
And isn’t this an interesting paradox: Sometimes it is in the eyes of those who have the least, that we get reflected back to us the most!
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