How many times have you argued with your brother, sister or parents about who gets what? Who had more money spent on them, or which one of you got more of something that the other?
That’s something that happens all too often in families, from what I’ve seen.
For example, a mom takes her two daughters shopping. One of the daughters gets six shirts for two hundred dollars, but the other only gets four for the same amount of money. Naturally, the daughter who only got four shirts with think she got ripped off, even though she spent the same amount of money as her sister. That’s what my mom would call being “ungrateful.”
Every so often, my mom has to give either myself, my sister or brother the “ungrateful speech.” We all have those moments when we feel like we got the short end of the stick, but in the end, if you just think about it, how often do you actually get the shaft? Maybe you’re just not thinking, maybe you got more than you think? Maybe your parents are being fair and you just don’t see it.
So many of us spend a lot of energy focusing on what we don't have, or what didn't go our way. Meanwhile the sun is shining, the sky is blue, the grass is green, the sky is starry, our health is good, our friends are there for us.
Try this on--next time something disappointing happens, shift your focus instead to identifying 100 things that you do have to be thankful for. Then, figure out how you can channel all that wonderful positive energy into achieving whatever it is you seek.
I like this post. Reminds me of the saying, "Thing of the positives, instead of the negatives". I'm very grateful for my parents, even though I might not show it all the time. Sometimes "we" forget ;)
ReplyDelete-- Keep up the good writing!
Great post! The way you write is easy to follow and your personal examples helps me connect to your message. I completely agree that people tend to focus on the negatives instead of the positives. It's a shame that a lot of things that people complain about are superficial and don't really matter anyway. Your post gives me inspiration to really be thankful for my blessings!
ReplyDelete- Grace (Sioux Central)