"Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty."
- Doris Day
If you are reading this post it is safe to say you have a lot to be grateful for. You have access to the internet from your digital device of choice. Here in North America, nine out of ten people has internet access, while in Africa it is less than 50%. Regarding basic needs, one out of four people in the world does not even have access to safe drinking water. So if you can walk over to a sink right now and drink from the tap, you are relatively in good shape. I only mention this because I feel it's important to remind ourselves at times how good we actually have it from a big picture perspective. Being thankful for the basics is a great reminder.
Basic needs are defined as food, clothing and shelter. I know I take some of these basics for granted. I feel like I am bombarded with so many options when it comes to food that sometimes I end up feeling dissatisfied with my choice. I'm not a picky eater, but I can be an indecisive one. So, sometimes, I will choose regret over gratitude, for a meal! When it comes to getting dressed, some days I am not feeling any of my go-to shirts. I end up having to "settle" for a shirt that feels "alright" on me. And, while I am not in what I would consider a favorable living situation, I have a roof over my head every night.
I am someone who makes sure to show gratitude toward others when I benefit from their help or generosity. However, when it comes to the things we sometimes take for granted, like a hot meal I cooked for myself, I'm not always in the grati-mood. I'm not trying to be grati-rude. I think I sometimes I just have the wrong attitude. I have been reminding myself about being more grateful for having all of my basic needs covered. I notice how, the more grateful I am, the more satisfied I am with whatever it is I choose to eat or wear. I leave less room for complaining or regret over my choices. It's a simple reframe of my thinking.
Next time you find yourself in a situation where you might not have just eaten a flavorful meal, or you might not be feeling your wardrobe for the day, I encourage you to still show a bit of gratitude that you had access to nourishing food and clothes that fit you. Hopefully you are already good about showing gratitude for having your basics needs met every day. Sometimes, especially on those crappy days, we may just need to remind ourselves how good we have it, and how we are not going to starve, and how we get to sleep in a bed every night with a roof over our heads.Being grateful for the basics can improve our wellness tremendously by simply shifting our perspective..
More Wellness!
