How to be Grateful in Life and Why Should You?

Gratitude, I have learned, is one of the simplest thing one can turn to in order to feel better at any given circumstances. Personally and eventually, it was a learned habit with lots of conscious and deliberate actions. Come to think of it, I find it amusing. I was immersed in a Christian school for 14 years of my life. We "gave thanks" almost every single day through prayers but even so, it was not a habit that I carried after I left school. I did pray but for the sake of praying. Words were merely words and they didn't come alive. I didn't really feel that grateful then.

Few months back, a friend asked me,"How to be thankful?" and it kinda bamboozled me a little bit. But I then saw the "old me" through her. We are so focused on what doesn't work, what others have, what others do, what the world is lacking, etc that we forget about the opposite spectrum which are more accessible to us - what works, what we have, what we do and what the world is full of. Once I tune in my mind to this frequency, I have never looked back.

When my friend asked me that question, I told her, if you are unable to find things to be grateful for, I can help you for the first time round. I am very sure to come out with at least 10 items that's all tailor made for you. And I did just that. I could go on with her list. It's very natural for me to spot things to be thankful for in myself and others now. Even for my own, I can easily come out with 50 items right here right now if I need to. What you focus, expands. It's as simple as that.

Why is Being Grateful Important?
Fundamentally, it makes you feel really good. It beats gossiping. It beats wasting your time talking about other trivial matters in life. Eventually, by cultivating the habit of expressing gratitude, your life will transform without you realizing. You will be given more things to be grateful for. True story. 

But seriously, I am miserable. I am still struggling financially. What's there to be grateful for?
Sure, money is really important. But if you want to have money and stay miserable, then stop reading. Go spend your time and find your money. You will find it! Because what you focus does expand. 

But if you think your simple purpose of life is just to be happy, then you have to adopt the attitude of gratitude. I have seen some people who have everything (financially) and ho boy they look miserable and extremely boring! They have great roofs, great families but they still complain and complain. Do you think they are happy? I am not really sure. Of course there are those who are rich but not only they are grateful, they transform to the next level - they see everything as opportunities. Guess what happen to people like that? I don't need to describe much. I guess you already know the answer.


How to Be Grateful? What's There to Be Grateful for?
For a start, look for things that are really obvious. Look for things that you have taken for granted. Look for simple things. They are all around you. Some of the things if they are taken away from you, the consequences may be huge too. 

Let me provide you with a very generic list which may/may not apply to you. But I believe, if you are able to read this, you are one of the fortunate few. Let's start the ball rolling:

1. I am thankful for the air that I breathe. It's free.
2. I am thankful for my working body parts. They serve me well everyday.(If I focus on each and every organs, I will get many more items to be thankful for)
3. I am thankful for the ability to see, without which, I can't be reading this blog.
4. I am thankful for the ability to read, many are still illiterate in this world.
5. I am thankful for understanding, reading and writing in English, being one of the most spoken language on earth.
6. I am thankful for the internet, information comes so much faster to me.
7. I am thankful for the gadgets and technology. I have access to necessary information at any given time.
8. I am thankful for the roof above my head. 
9. I am thankful for my education in whichever way it has been transferred to me.
10. I am thankful for living in a country that is safe. Some people need to runaway everyday for survival. 
11. I am thankful for the variety of food and drinks that are so available for me. 
12. I am thankful for the friends that I have. Even if I only have one, some people have none.
13. I am thankful for the job that gives me income to do what I want to do. Needless to say how many jobless people are out there wishing they could be in my shoes.
14. I am thankful for the library where knowledge is so readily available with no cost. 
15. I am thankful for the transportation system. Some people need to walk 2-3 hours just to get to school.
16. I am thankful for the water I use for drinking and for other purposes. In some countries, water is such a rare commodity and to some they die of drought.
17. I am thankful for the availability of electricity which enables me to perform many more activities.
18. I am thankful for the freedom to read what I want, when I want. 
19. I am thankful for Facebook. It helps me to keep in touch with many of my friends and most importantly to share what I think is awesome.
20. I am thankful for my parents. Through them I have the above 19 items to be thankful for.

Try it out with just 3 things to be grateful for a day. I can guarantee within 1 week, you will see the world differently. And if you are able to make it a habit (which means doing it for at least 21 days), it will come so naturally that you will be at awe at yourself when you look how far you've come. 

To close, I would like to share 2 quotes with all of you. Stay grateful, peeps!

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. 

- Brian Tracy

Be thankful for what you have and you will end up having more. But if you concentrate on what you don't have, you'll never, ever have enough.

- Oprah Winfrey

30/08/2012 - I am grateful that my friends requested "Titanium" to be sung live and dedicated it to me. I wouldn't forget that moment as it was the first time someone dedicated a live performance for me, I think. Unless I forgot. :p

What If They Talk About You?

Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter. - Dr. Seuss

Does the quote above sound familiar to you? It's one of those famous quote that has been repeated so many times that it becomes a cliché. But guess what, cliché can really be a great reminder to life. Sometimes what you need is to really keep it simple. 

A really great friend came to remind me of this quote recently. Though I have heard of it countless of time, but the beauty of pure and simple truth is that ... they speak to you in unexplainable manner. 

I have many friends. Many different groups of people. As I progress through life, I have learned to shed as many skins and masks as possible because carrying them around add weights to my soul. I feel so much lighter to simply be who I am at whatever occasion. I never turn back from such lifestyle anymore. 

As I share my life freely with people who are willing to listen, I hold nothing back because what's there to hold back? If you are willing to listen, I'm willing to tell. Was I naive? Maybe. But it's through my naiveness I put the quote above to the test, then I learn who really do matter. 

You see, I have learned that instinctively you will know who the people worthy of your stories are. Your heart knows. Normally, they may surprise you, because a great heart is never defined by their social status, wealth, intelligence, education level, words they say, things you do together, time you spend with each other and all other superficial matters. Some people simply stuck in the high-school mentality where they are busy observing and commenting on the lives of others without first understanding them. I believe you know one or two of such people, don't be disheartened. If you know people who talk unceasingly behind your back, you can be rest assured that you are on the right track. Your life is so much more colourful, interesting and awesome that they'd rather talk about yours than theirs. 

Eventually, you will discover true gems. Great hearts. Great souls. Once you are able to drop the pretense, disassociate from the negatives and "detox" the unwanted attentions; only then good things flood into your way. True story. 

Rare gems tend to hide underneath the dirts. So, don't mind the dirts, you may be closer to the gems than you know. Let the dirts slide through you, keep uncovering. Eventually, you will know who shine the brightest and naturally you'll be drawn to them too, because you are worthy of that.