Dear Friends,
It seems to me, we’re the most blessed generation in human history, and yet we’re also the least thankful. Look at the people around you with their faces drawn into a near permanent frown. Well fed, nice clothes, a roof over our heads, a car, constant diversion and the prospect of nothing but more of the same in the future. You would think such people as us would be happy and thankful. Yet, we dwell on that which we don’t have, instead of being thankful for that which we do. Instead of serving us, that lack of gratitude lowers our lot. Making us bitter and resentful, which being negative emotions, only harms us. While gratitude elevates us. In what context do they lower and elevate? In the context of our health, happiness and in personal satisfaction.
Most of the problems we’re so angry about are of our own making. Then made worse by our attitude. Especially when we become neurotic. As we all can be on occasion. Moreover, it’s often our attitude of ingratitude that traps us in cycles of failure, and dissatisfaction. That dissatisfaction that’s inculcated by the media and advertising, to get us to spend money on their culch. Keeping us focused on the negative. Which obviously magnifies our ingratitude, lowering the likelihood of escaping whatever slow moving tragedy we’ve made for ourselves, or perceive we’re trapped in. I say perceive because most often what we see as bars are only an artifact of our perspective. Sometimes all one needs do is step to the side and those bars are no longer in your way.
I’ve offered that we all have a misery quotient before. In that we feel we deserve a certain amount of misery, and if we don’t get it… we set about getting it. That’s why so many lottery winners are poor in a few years, people born to wealth become useless, and why our society is so ungrateful. If our lives are too good, then we feel uncomfortable. We experience a form of cognitive dissonance. I hear many celebrities and politicians have a feeling of unworthiness. In my philosophy, that’s because they aren’t anywhere near their misery quotient, and haven’t recognized it. Which arises from Jung’s dark side. Taking Jung’s idea further, the misery quotient if not met, and is unrecognized, will lead us unconsciously, to harm ourselves. The misery quotient then keeps us from being grateful.
Gratitude isn’t for the person we thank… it’s for us. Because thanking God for life, your loved oones for their love and even chickens for their eggs, allows us to recognize that which we have. Focusing us on the good. While ingratitude focuses us on the bad. Our lacks. No matter how irrelevant they are. Gratitude then elevates us. In attitude, satisfaction and even health. Since health is largely a mental state. I’ve noticed that the angry, forlorn and jealous have many health problems and die young. While people who are grateful are healthier and live longer. That’s my anecdotal experience. I suspect it’s empirically proven as well. Which means gratitude bestows a myriad of benefits, from health and longevity, to better life outcomes. By every measure gratitude benefits us.
Judged pragmatically, the best result for all of us… is to be thankful, and recognize that we’re the author of most of our problems, via the misery quotient. It’s not difficult to be grateful. We swim in a sea of benefits. Plenty of food, clothing and cell phones. How do I know this? Look at the refugees fleeing persecution and famine at home to come to the US and Europe. They’re to a person, obese, dressed to the nines and sporting the latest cell phones. If destitute people who’ve trekked across the globe for better conditions, have that much to be thankful for… how much more do we? Since gratitude benefits us, and there is so much to be grateful for, why wouldn’t we accept that free benefit? Health, longevity and better personal relationships, can all be had, for the low low price of… gratitude.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
