Gratitude

Among the many things and people I am grateful for in life, I am grateful for The Modern Gal's post regarding this article on the psychology of happiness from USA Today. Not only is it an interesting and insightful article, but it got me on track thinking about the people in my life who I would without a doubt consider to be "happy", and what causes my own happiness in life...

Involved The people who I consider to be happy are people who get involved in things that they find enjoyable, worthwhile, and most importantly, serve a higher purpose. In other words, they do things for others without a thought for themselves.

The nature of such things tend to be service oriented. Whether it's taking time to volunteer at a shelter, or to lead a team or group, it's being a part of something that produces results. You build a child's self-esteem through tutoring, you participate in the arts, which entertains and enlightens. You shovel your older neighbors driveway in the winter and cut their grass in the summer. You are causing someone to feel joy or gratitude, which reflects on you.

The times I have felt the best about life have been when I was a part of a service team in school or through church. I did Alternative Spring Break in college and spent a week in Phoenix volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul Center. A solid week of organizing clothing and household donations, preparing and serving meals to the homeless, and interacting with people who were thankful for a hot meal was one oft he best weeks of my life.

Attitude In life, attitude is everything. Life is nothing without gratitude and forgiveness. Think about those who do not concern themselves with what material things they have, but with the simple joys they get out of life. Think of those who walk around unburdened. They are "lighter" because they are able to let go of life's woes. They are able to forgive others or themselves of transgressions and keep living their life. They walk around with a smile on their face or a bounce to their step. They get a good night's sleep and don't seek out the faults of others, but the goodness.

When I think of attitude, I think of my grandmother. I strive to be like her every day. She lives simply. She doesn't own a tv, just a radio to listen to NPR and broadcasts of the Red Sox games. She doesn't own a computer and probably couldn't email to save her life. She might seem like a modern day pilgrim. She eats a mostly organic diet. For years up until recently she kept her own vegetable garden and lived off of the fruits of her labor. Her day to day entertainment consists of doing the crossword puzzle in the newspaper, working on 1000-piece puzzles, volunteering at a local farm, singing in her church choir, and crocheting up a storm. Every time I see her, she is smiling. She won't hesitate to give me $20 for gas and will take me for ice cream in a heartbeat because life is too short to count calories every minute of the day.

I encourage you to think of the happy people you know. Think about why they are happy. Think about what makes you happy. Tell me what makes you happy!

Also thanks to The Modern Gal (I think I will dub her MG here), I have been introduced to Grace In Small Things, which will be a daily opportunity to pause and express my gratitude in life, and as they say in their tagline, "Waging a battle against embitterment since 2008". Love it.

I hope you all have a wonderful first day of spring. And it's Friday, which is even better!

Cheers!