Being thankful for what you have is an attitude anyone can develop with a little practice. And it’s worth the effort.
Some months ago, I came to know that “Mangal Griha” (Mars) in my birth chart was giving me less than optimal results. And the remedy to calm it down was to donate Gud (Jaggery) and Lal Masoor (Red lentils) in a temple. So I started visiting our neighborhood mandir every Tuesday.
I used to recite Shri Hanuman Chalisa and also request Bhagavan Hanuman to calm down my Mars since Bajrangbali controls Mangal.
Then one Tuesday, I realized that I was being a complainer—a whiner who keeps complaining about things not going his way. Though the religious people would term it normal, I felt that my request to Hanuman ji to pacify Mars was nothing short of a complaint. So many things were going well (and still are) in my life and all I could focus on was one not-so-good aspect of my life. That was quite something!
It’s unfair and obnoxious to constantly nag about things that you don’t have (not to mention how unthankful it is to trouble a deity for your life’s challenges).
So instead of complaining, I decided to be thankful for what I had. And I started admiring and being grateful to Bhagavan Hanuman for all the blessings that I already enjoy.
I am an able man with a cooperative family. Fortunate enough to have a couple of close friends and relatives who usually listen to me with patience and compassion. I have a computer to write this blog post on. And, of course, many other amenities one can think of.
Then why the hell was I whining? Why wasn’t I thankful for what I already had? Why such an ungrateful attitude?
Habit.
The nagging, fault-finding, and complaining are so rampant in our society that we take it as normal without questioning its validity.
When you complain—you are focused on the lack of something. Something that’s not going well. Something that’s troubling you and disturbing your sleep. A bad thing that you don’t want in your life anymore. In other words, your focus is on the dysfunctional side of your life.
But what about the things that are going well? Don’t they count?
They do.
What about you?
Are you focusing on something dysfunctional and thus inviting more of such negative experiences into your life?
Have you ever considered transforming yourself into someone with an attitude of gratitude?
Will focusing on things that are working just fine in your life will make you a grateful person?
Remember that oftentimes we think life changes by doing big things. Something grand. But that’s not true. Life is a continuum of little things.
So be thankful for what you have.
It all adds up.