Nakumbuka jioni moja, wakati maisha yangu yalikuwa tofauti sana na nilikuwa na uzito kupita kiasi na nilikuwa na deni nyingi na mvutaji sigara na nilikuwa na wakati mgumu sana kubadilisha mambo ... sikuwa nikijisikia vizuri sana kuhusu maisha yangu.
Nilihisi kutisha juu yangu mwenyewe, na nilishangaa kwa nini nilikuwa nimekwama. Nilihisi kutokuwa na tumaini na kutokuwa na msaada, na kwa ujumla huzuni juu ya hali ya mambo karibu nami.
Kisha nikatazama juu angani, na nikaona nyota zimewekwa kwenye turubai kubwa la buluu-nyeusi. Na nikafikiria, maisha ni muujiza gani.
Na niliamua kuorodhesha kiakili mambo niliyokuwa nayo maishani ambayo yalikuwa mazuri.
Orodha yangu ya mambo mazuri ilikuwa kitu kama hiki:
- Nilikuwa na mke mzuri
- Nilikuwa na watoto 5 wa ajabu (sasa 6)
- Nilikuwa na wazazi wenye upendo na ndugu na babu na babu na shangazi na wajomba na binamu
- Sikuwa mgonjwa
- Nilikuwa na kazi
- Nilikuwa na makazi bora na chakula
- Familia yangu ilikuwa na afya
- Niliweza kuona, na kuthamini uzuri wa ulimwengu unaonizunguka
- Ningeweza kuonja chakula kitamu
- Nilikuwa na vitabu vizuri vya kusoma
Orodha iliendelea, lakini unapata wazo. Hata wakati mambo yalionekana kuwa mabaya kwangu, kwa kweli nilikuwa sawa. Na zaidi ya hayo, nilikuwa na baraka za ajabu maishani mwangu.
Usiku huo niliazimia kuhesabu baraka zangu mara nyingi zaidi. Niliazimia kushukuru kwa kile nilichokuwa nacho, kwa ajili ya watu maishani mwangu.
Nilianza tabia ya kushukuru.
Sasa, hili linaonekana kama jambo dogo na labda la kawaida kwa watu wengi. Niko hapa kukuambia kuwa sio jambo dogo, na kama trite/hokey inavyoweza kuonekana, inabadilisha maisha.
Hiki ndicho kilichonitokea, nilipobadilisha mawazo yangu kutoka ya uhasi, hadi ya shukrani:
- Nilimthamini mke wangu Eva zaidi, na kumwambia hivyo, na kujisikia vizuri kuwa naye katika maisha yangu, na tukaimarisha uhusiano wetu.
- Pia niliwathamini watoto wangu zaidi, na badala ya kuwakasirikia sana, ningeona upendo wao, udadisi wao, ucheshi wao na uchezaji.
- Nilithamini wapendwa wangu wengine zaidi, na ingawa huwa siambii jinsi ninavyowashukuru, mimi hufikiria sana, na ninawaambia mara nyingi zaidi sasa.
- Nilikuwa mkarimu kwa wengine karibu nami, kazini na kila mahali pengine, kwa sababu badala ya kuona makosa ya kila mtu, niliona nzuri, na nilishukuru kwao.
- Nilihitaji kidogo, kwa sababu badala ya kufikiria juu ya kile ambacho sina, nilishukuru kwa kile nilichokuwa nacho.
- Mambo madogo yalinisumbua kidogo, kwa sababu badala ya kulalamika juu ya kila kitu kidogo, ningeona mambo ya kushukuru.
- Nilithamini asili karibu nami, vitu vidogo ambavyo ningeweza kukosa hapo awali, uzuri katika kila kitu.
- Mabadiliko ya tabia yamekuwa rahisi, kwa sababu badala ya kuzingatia jinsi mabadiliko yalivyokuwa magumu, nilipata furaha katika mabadiliko, na furaha katika kujiona ninashinda changamoto.
- Kila wakati ukawa sababu ya kushukuru, na kuishi kwa sasa ikawa rahisi.
Orodha inaendelea na kuendelea, lakini kila moja ya mambo haya ni yenye nguvu sana. Si trite. Sio hokey. Ajabu tupu.
Kwa hivyo unachukuaje tabia hii? Inafurahisha, kwa sababu sehemu kubwa ya maisha yetu hutumiwa katika tabia za kiakili zisizo na fahamu. Bila kujua, tunalalamika, sisi nitpick, tunasisitiza juu ya makosa madogo, tunaona mbaya katika watu na hali. Kubadilisha hiyo haifanyiki mara moja.
Lakini. Unaweza kubadilisha kidogo kwa wakati mmoja. Anza na kipindi kidogo cha shukrani, na shukuru sana. Kweli kuhisi furaha kwamba kitu au mtu ni katika maisha yako.
Chukua muda kuorodhesha, sasa hivi, ya mambo unayoshukuru maishani mwako. Huenda unatazama nyuma wakati huu miaka kadhaa baadaye, wakati maisha yako yote yalipobadilika.
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We link to this splendid article from the portion of our www.familycology.org "omnistic families as congregations" site, at the place where we mention an atheistic "Church of Humble Graditude". Hope you do not mind!!! Max pax, Yale and Jackie Landsberg
One of the things that I have learned is that gratitude is more about doing and demonstrating than it is about a feeling. That said, I have also often experienced feeling grateful when I have practiced showing gratitude. Going one step further, a wise friend suggested that I begin the practice of doing something for someone--an act of gratitude if you will--without getting caught. Along these same lines, I try to do things for others without any expectation of getting anything in return; this helps keep me from doing things for others with selfish or ulterior motives.
If you're like me you may get this gratitude thing intellectually, but find it hard to 'feel' sometimes. When that happens, when as you say or think of all the things you are grateful for but the anxiety continues try this one mental trick: consider what your life would be like without those things. Without that significant other. Without your kids, or your pets, or your friends. Imagine your life without your close family members, or your home - what if you were homeless? This exercise will put you into a fearful state of mind for a moment, at which time remind yourself that you DO have all those things and people. That usually gives me that grateful feeling by the bucket load. Try it and see. :)
Ww certainly get what we focus on for sure.
Saved my life. Quit drinking and quite depreciating myself. When I changed the world around me changed. We are a product of how we think.