GRATITUDE - Part II

 As 2023 edges on, we are two weeks in to the New Year. For so many parents and guardians, whose children are still in school, so much activity relates to preparation of back to school here in South Africa at this time of the year.

Because I also work in the stationery retail industry, I have observed the intensity of these preparations. In the process, I have been impressed once more with the power of gratitude.

“How come?”, you may ask.

Well the answer to that is not as simple. But two things immediately come to mind. Gratitude towards our bodies and gratitude towards resources and what they have done for us – and continue to do for us, that we can function and support those who are nearest and dearest to us.

Allow me to explain:

Our physical bodies enable us to get things done. This may sound obvious, until you take a conscious moment to think deeply about it. Our feet enable us to move to where we want to go with the support of the legs. The spine holds bodies upright and through the nervous system, the mind sends billions of signals to the rest of the body to keep one alert, the digestive system breaks down food to nourish the entire body, the heart continuously pumps  blood throughout the veins bringing the required oxygen to the body parts (without you even noticing or having any form of control per se), the mind generates tens of thousands of thoughts each day, the basic five senses of the body aid one’s navigation in the environment where they find themselves. I could go on and on. But the basic question that has crossed my mind is, “how grateful am I to my body, and each part of my body for diligently serving me without complaint, year in, and year out?”

I have used the term resources deliberately, because I believe that there is a distinction between being resourceful and having resources. I think that it is from being resourceful that one can have access to resources. Broadly speaking, resources are enabling for one to live the life that one desires. Well no matter how you may have acquired resources in your life, the question is: how grateful are you for the resources that you possess?

A story is told of a well-to-do woman who regularly uses public transport to travel in between towns, whilst owning several cars. When asked why she does that, her response was: in this way, I am able to get a first-hand of how other people live. In other words, this is her way of remaining grounded and grateful.

With all that you have been blessed with, what will you do this year to practically exercise gratitude?



Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2023 at 8:46 AM

    Thanks Joe. It's easy to take our bodies for granted until we get sick and find ourselves unable to do simple tasks. Oh, and we need to remember to give our bodies a break here and there. Its part of showing our gratitude.

    ReplyDelete

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