“Two convicts stood looking through the bars. One looked down and saw the mud. The other looked up and saw the stars.” Unknown author.
If we look we’ll find areas in our life for gratitude. Those who find nothing for which to be grateful are - in my opinion - not enjoying a happy existence.
So where do I find this gratitude? No job. No money. Wife left. Nerves shot. Boss is pissed. On and on. We have a litany of things to be ungrateful for because that’s where our focus is.
However a change of perspective will provide an abundance of opportunities for gratitude.
For example, we have clients that live with varying levels of gratitude and ingratitude. The ones who are the most ungrateful are the ones who had the most prior to coming to us. They've been to the “best” treatment programs, some costing thousands of dollars a day.
Their parents send them money and stuff to make their lives more comfortable while they’re in recovery. And they understandably have trouble figuring out that they have responsibility for their recovery. And when things go wrong, they blame their benefactors – not themselves.
The most grateful are those who've had challenges and struggles in their addictions and recovery. Many are simply grateful the pain has subsided. They find hope in the one-on-one sessions, groups and meetings. They find gratitude in another day clean and sober. They think of the friends at home who still struggling with their disease. They look at themselves as blessed.
They find ways to not slip into negativity by looking around at those who have less – a way to re-frame what life presents us so we can stay with gratitude.
