Gratitude –

The alarm sounds and another day dawns. You climb out of your comfortable bed and begin the required ritual grooming expected of every good productive person. A glance at the clock confirms you are running behind schedule. You sit down to a hot breakfast prepared by your significant other before climbing into your car for the morning commute. Traffic is heavy and fellow drivers battle impatience as time moves faster in directly proportional to the slowing traffic. You arrive at work harried and stressed before the workday has even begun.
This process plays out day after day, week after week, and year after year. Actions become automatic after endless repetitions until you can run through the process without thinking about it. Instead, your thoughts dwell on the challenges waiting for you at work or the sensationalized commercial-laden information that passes for news blaring from the radio.
As bleak as that scenario appears, there is an alternative.
The easy but ineffective way is to keep doing what you are doing until something happens outside of your control to make things better. This requires no effort from you other than putting up with your dissatisfaction until the magical transformation happens. There is a probably some statistical possibility this could happen but the likelihood is slim.
Another way is to view life through the lens of gratitude. Using the above scenario, it might look something like this.
The alarm sounds and another day dawns. The room is still dark and quiet and you take a moment to appreciate the refreshing peaceful sleep you just enjoyed. You are thankful for the geniuses who designed and manufactured your bed and are glad they were good at their jobs. As you begin the process, you are thankful for the hot and cold running water in the bathroom and the grooming supplies you will use to get ready. The clock says you are running behind but you feel relief since there is still plenty of time to catch up before you have to leave the house. As you sit down for breakfast you thank your significant other for the delicious hot breakfast they prepared. They did not have to make breakfast for you but they did it because they loved you and wanted you to be happy. You are thankful for their love and their attention to you. Many people live alone or struggle with unhappy relationships and you are thankful for your wonderful partner.
Once in your car you are thankful for your safe and reliable vehicle. It is equipped with electronic equipment that allow you to listen to the disturbing news of the day or better yet, to sync it with your Smartphone which provides better entertainment. You realize how fortunate you are to have so many options to choose from. The slow traffic is the same but you are grateful because the delay allows you extra time to listen to more interesting things before getting to work. When you arrive at work, you are thankful for the job that allows you to support the family and enjoy life. You realize many people struggle to find a decent job and many work a second job just to make ends meet.
Outwardly, the result is the same. You wake up, get ready, and go to work. The difference is in the quality of life as the effects of gratitude begin to compound. Practicing gratitude is like building muscles. The more you do it the easier it becomes. At first, it takes effort to identify the moments when life overtakes you and you slip into ingratitude. With time, it becomes easier to identify your blessings. The best part is that it is contagious.
Expressing gratitude to your partner shows them you are thinking of them with love. This behavior reinforces the relationship and engenders a deeper trust. Gratitude while driving can work in the same way as “pay it forward”. Doing a kind act for another driver, such as allowing space for them to enter your lane, makes their morning commute a little less stressful. Who knows? They may even pay the act forward.
Over time, the cumulative effect of practicing gratitude can improve the quality of your life. A 2012 study, “Gratitude Is With Me All the Time”: How Gratitude Relates to Wisdom”, by König and Glück, found wisdom was positively correlated to four measure of gratitude defined in the study. Correlation does not necessarily prove causation so it is not known if being wise predisposes a person to gratitude or if gratitude enhances wisdom. Whichever it may be, it showed wise people tended to be more grateful. So maybe living gratefully is a wise thing to do.