A lesson in gratitude
An interesting thing happened to me. It was the summer, I was working from home and my window was open. A conversation outside caught my attention. One that would deliver an important lesson in gratitude.
A young boy was talking with his mother as they walked by. I live in an area that’s popular with holidaymakers and it became clear that they were visiting. I also live by a park with a large lake and plenty of attractions.
The boy made an excitable observation to his mother. He simply said, “Mum, the people who live here can go to the park every day”.
To him, this was something amazing. Something to genuinely get excited about. I paused for a moment, as that wonder and excitement wasn’t lost on me.
I was forced to ask myself, when did I last go to the park? It was one of those difficult days when I was getting frustrated with things. I wasn’t in the best frame of mind and before this happened, I hadn’t felt particularly grateful or appreciative.
That changed as I thought about that simple question. This thing that had caused so much excitement was something I was taking for granted. Something I was overlooking and really wasn’t grateful for.
After work, I simply had to go to the park. I really enjoyed the walk and was reminded why I love going there. Somewhere peaceful, with so much to see and reflect on. I made sure I kept going back after that, and I always appreciated it.
It was a simple and effective lesson in gratitude. In that child’s eyes, I had one of the most precious things you could have. Something special. Access to the park every day.
Maybe we could all benefit from looking at the world like this. From stepping back from all those ‘adult’ superficial problems. From letting the world get to us.
From doing these three easy things:
Thinking about what might excite someone else about your life
Thinking of those special things you’re just not doing
Thinking of things you should be grateful for
You’ll probably be able to do them every day.