What is it that saves the person who is in a desperate
place? This question has been asked for centuries. Despair that plagues those
subjected to such atrocities and tragedies such as imprisonment, major illness,
death of a loved one, financial ruins, or being a victim of violent crime
cannot be comprehended by those who have never experienced it. Our history
books and personal stories depict those who have moved out of a place of sheer
desperation into a place of peaceful acceptance and the ability to see beyond
the tragedy. According to Victor Frankl, author of Man’s Search For
Meaning, it is man’s ability to hold to “faith in the future” that causes
him to not only survive tragedy but to triumph over it. “There is nothing in
the world, I venture to say, that would so effectively help one to survive even
the worst conditions, as the knowledge that there is meaning in one’s
life.” If finding meaning to one’s life is what bridges the gap
between despair and hope, then it is surely a sense of gratitude that bridges
the gap between hopelessness and fulfillment. In the realization of life’s
meaning and purpose, regardless of how meager or abundant it is viewed to be,
it is the sense of thankfulness that can move a person into a sense of such
profound happiness that they find an inner joy despite the conditions of their
life. Most intrinsically, happy people don’t even realize that
they have an ongoing sense of gratitude about life because it’s just second
nature for them to feel grateful. They are thankful when someone offers them a
helping hand, the sun is shining, or a meal tastes delicious. However, those
who struggle with feeling gratitude often find themselves feeling entitled
which then gives them a negative bent towards life. They complain and grumble,
“The help didn’t come fast enough”; “even though the sun is out the neighbor’s
dog is still barking”; “the meal could have been better.” The good news for the person who sees the glass half
empty is that feeling gratitude is a conscious decision and not a genetic
predisposition. A most interesting fact about gratitude is that it can become
addictive. The more you express gratitude, either mentally or audibly, the more
thankful you become. “Also, faith is born of gratitude.
The grateful mind continually expects good things, and expectation becomes
faith.” –
Wallace Wattles, 1910. |
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CategoriesPositive Thinking |
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