Too often I take life for granted. I forget to be grateful. Unless there is a special occurrence, I go about my day with a lack of appreciation. For example, if a stock that I own shoots up after a blockbuster earnings report, I might briefly be thankful for this exciting and positive event; however, I quickly slip back into a neutral state of obliviousness to the innumerous wonders of life.
Accordingly, I must make an effort to be conscious of all that is happening that is good. Once I awaken an attitude of gratitude, the rest is easy because goodness is everywhere. I can be thankful for my health, my relationships, my financial well-being, the kindess of others, being able to help others, inventions that make life more interesting, a sunrise, a sunset, a puffy white cloud, a mountain, an ocean, the air I breathe, a glass of water, and the list goes on. So many wonderful things are happening for which I can be thankful.
I must also make an effort to be thankful for what is not happening. We are impressed and thankful when a surgeon performs as successful quintuple bypass surgery, and yet we tend to overlook the miracle created by the family practice doctors, nutritionists, personal trainers, spiritual leaders, authors, and speakers whose care and advice prevent the need for millions of people ever to need bypass surgery. We can be grateful for that miracle–the miracle of something not happening.
Henceforth, before I go to sleep each night, in addition to reminiscing about the good things that happened that day, I am going to remind myself that there are countless things that didn’t happen for which I can be grateful. I won’t make a practice of dwelling on specific hypotheticals, but I at least will acknowledge and give thanks for all the knowable and unknowable things that didn’t happen… and for those individuals, organizations, and perhaps even a higher power, who helped to ensure they didn’t happen.
P. Gustav Mueller, author of The Present