An Attitude of Gratitude

It is so easy to forget one of the most important expressions of life.

Gratitude.

A simple thank you for the blessings we have.

I’d like to share a true story of how gratitude changed a woman from a state of miserable unhappiness to realisation with one short conversation.

At the hospital where my daughter was being treated, a woman walked into the ward and I noticed the sudden whisperings and sly glances amongst the nurses. Curious, I enquired why the staff seemed so excited.

“She is the lady who came by yesterday and spoke to the patient in room 21!”

Mrs. Anderson was the patient in room 21 and had been suffering with a long bout of depression. She had been receiving treatment for this with little success. However, a single conversation with this remarkable guest seemed to have cured her and she happily discharged herself from the hospital.

“What did you say to Mrs. Anderson?” the nurses asked this anonymous lady.

"All the medical treatment and consultations we gave her did nothing and yet you had such a profound effect on her that she felt ready to leave the hospital.”

The lady smiled and calmly replied, “I simply asked her to list all the things she was grateful for in her life. At first, Mrs. Anderson was cynical and refused to budge. She was determined to focus on her problems."

“Me and grateful? My life is a dark cloud, I am burdened with worries and depression has kept me here for a month!”

"I reminded her of all the simple things we take for granted. A kind smile from a stranger, a hot cup of tea, a warm hug, our body that helps us to perform every little task, eyes that we can see with, ears that help us connect with the sound of nature, fresh air and most importantly our breath which is in fact, something we never acknowledge. The truth is that we exist because of our breath.”

The anonymous lady was an angel that day, reminding us that gratitude is a powerful prayer; a potent medicine to help with our troubles.

We need to express gratitude and count our blessings however small we deem them to be. Focus on abundance rather than the sorrows and obstacles we face.

When we are thankful we are happy. When we are happy our body and spirit transforms and we are more aligned, grounded and in a position to shift the difficult situations we may be in.

Lets join our hands and start walking the path of gratitude. This is a path that leads to a beautiful journey.