Count Your Blessings

How many times do we find ourselves complaining and wishing for better things in life, a better house, a better job, etc..... Well, that actually makes life more miserable. I look at it this way.... Life tells you, first YOU appreciate what I already gave you, then I'll give you better things...simple!

There are times in life when you realize you've become very grumpy, irritable and ready to snap at the next person you meet....and you don't have a clue why you've suddenly changed from being a happy and cheerful person to a 'moaner' or a 'complainer'. And then there are some people who are just born like that...

If you do a short introspection, you'll notice you've been concentrating too much on the negative things in your life...and you maybe brooding over them or analyzing them just too much lately......So what to do now?

What I've started doing is, maintaining a diary where I write a minimum of 5 good things that happened to me everyday... You could also try it if you like, it need not be something great or extraordinary.....just write about 5 simple things that happened during the day that made you feel good or happy, but make sure you omit all the negative things... I get tempted to write about bad things that happened, but there should be no negative stuff on that page! Avoid using negative words altogether. You should try to concentrate more on all the nicer things that happened...coz this is about counting your blessings !

On some days you might feel, nothing nice happened today, what can I write about...but hang on! Slow down a bit, just spend a few more minutes to think and note down a few good things that happened today. It could be anything as simple as your friend getting you a cadbury chocolate or your crush smiling at you or your boss appreciating you....If you got the road all clear today, if your maid returned to work, if it did not rain on your way to work, if you received a sms that made you feel special, etc......At times when I just can't think of anything nice that happened, I feel thankful for the warm and cozy home I live in, I feel grateful to have my family around, the green trees outside my window, the unique and rare birds chirping in the garden....

And on days when you feel super happy and excited, you should try to write about 25 things! It's all about trying to 'remember the good and forget the bad' And I'm sure in a few days time you'll notice you've become a much more positive person :) "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things "

And tell me honestly, the things we grumble about usually, are they really justified? You grumble if someone overtakes you while driving, if there is a power cut, if your pizza is not delivered quickly, if the pins in the stapler are over! C'mmon, sometimes you don't even need a reason to grumble! It reminds me of a popular jingle I learned in my Sunday School, "OOooooohhhhh, . . . theyyyyy . . grumble on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, grumble on Thursday too, grumble on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, grumble the whole week through. "

You could call this a psychological way of making the problems in your life seem smaller or invisible...and transforming your thoughts into positive ones, positivity can turn your life around! It helps to clear your mind of all useless thoughts and makes space for innovative and solution oriented thoughts.

Okay now you don't have to do this writing work life long....but just for a few weeks maybe, till the time you train your mind into thinking more positively and till the time you've stopped cribbing too much.....you get the drift! Begin to appreciate small things and see the difference in your life.

C'mmon now pick up your pen and paper and get started!