Gratitude

Sometimes life can get pretty tough. Things don’t always seem to work out the way we want them to, and even though we persevere as best we can, it doesn’t always make it any easier.

Something to help keep in mind during those rough times is gratitude. Sure it’s one thing to say that while you’re all happy and enjoying life, and it’s completely another to say it when you’re in the throes of struggle. Maybe this won’t be your “go to” thing during a crisis, but perhaps expanding our understanding of all the things we have to be grateful for, prior to when the dookie hits the fan will help.

To help with this, let’s take a quick little historical journey through time.

The earth has been here for a bit, a million years or maybe more, my math isn’t that good *wink*. Of those millions of years, humans have been on this planet for only a few thousand. Of those few thousand mankind has only really become relatively civilized in a fraction of those. Of that fraction, there was a big stretch were something as simple as getting a little sick could be fatal.

Since the advent of antibiotics and modern medicine, even the lowest class of citizens in America survives things that would have meant certain death just a short time ago. Modern medicine has a bad rap these days, and it certaintly has its shortcomings, but if it weren’t for modern medicine I wouldn’t be alive today, and neither would many members of my family. So as much as I love preventative medicine and other modalities, modern medicine is pretty rockin’.

So we basically survive things that would have decimated populations only a few hundred years ago. Even the lowest level of poverty in America provides people with at least some relief. And if you have a little drive and dedication you can really make things happen no matter what strata of society you’re in.

Even relatively poor people can have access to things kings didn’t have – the toilet, TV, modern medicine (I know the system is messed up, but if you get stabbed or something they’ll treat you), and transportation.

I don’t know about you, but if I had to choose between being a king in the past, or even relatively poor today in America… I’d choose this day and age. What if I was a king and my appendix decided to rupture? Not so much fun then.

We have access to all of these brilliant things, and even though there’s all this craziness going on in the world right now, I, at least, feel hopeful. Technologically we are moving forward at light speed, and it keeps getting faster. There’s a lot of social and financial turmoil, but it seems to me that this is just a sign that we have to shift to integrity and value versus making money as the bottom line. Who knows, maybe I’m just delusional.

With regards to global matters, it seems like the everyone is getting the message, “Get your act together, or it’s game over.” I see that as a good thing. No more rose-colored glasses, or turning a blind eye to non-integrous behaviors. Let’s take some responsibility.

And in a morbidly comforting sort of way, even if we as a species annihilate ourselves via nuclear war, at least we won’t be around to complain about how tragic it is. Besides, the planets will keep on spinning without us – no need to worry.