I remember being taught to look both ways before crossing the street. It’s a life-saving skill I’ve taken for granted since I can remember. It’s hard to say how many times it’s kept me alive. Several years ago I saw a TED talk by David Steindl-Rast that has been almost as important by using the stop, look, go method for a different purpose. Here is a link to the video.https://www.ted.com/talks/david_steindl_rast_want_to_be_happy_be_grateful
His talk is on grateful living. I have a grateful nature and mostly appreciate my blessings. I didn’t think I would learn much from the talk, but I was surprised.
His first idea is that gratefulness results in people being happy instead of happy people being grateful. When I was growing up society seemed to send the message that being grateful was an obligation that I owed to others. David is saying the benefit is to me for being grateful. He talks about some people who have almost everything, but aren’t grateful, therefore they are sad. Conversely some people have very little, but are grateful and almost always happy. Gratefulness is my choice, not a product of what I have.
Then he continues to frame things differently. He explains that each moment is the most precious thing I have. Without it I literally have nothing and that it is a gift. I did nothing to earn it. Every moment is a new gift. I don’t have to be grateful for the circumstances it contains, but I can be grateful for the opportunity to have one more moment of life, the most valuable thing in the world.
Then he talks about a gratefulness formula he uses-stop, look, go.
STOP-take time to be still, quiet or present. Notice what is going on. He uses small stickers on things like light switches and faucets to be grateful for electricity and clean water. I’ve put one on my shower door as a reminder to be grateful for indoor plumbing. I use another on the thermostat to be grateful for air conditioning. If I have those two things, life can only be so bad.
LOOK- once still, I look for the opportunity in that moment, especially the chance to help someone else.
GO-take advantage of the opportunity. Often that is enjoying the moment, but can be many different things.
Every day I do my best to remember that this moment is a gift more precious than anything else, just as it is. Grateful living is a life of appreciation where what I have in the present moment, is always enough, including myself. These ideas are the basis for the ending I use on every blog post.
May you have enough today, one moment at a time.
THIS HELPED ME 