Being Grateful vs. Seeking Gratification 

How is it that the United States is the most obese, in-debt, and medicated society?

I believe we are continually seeking gratification and not making space for gratitude. The more we seek to consume and neglect gratitude, the emptier we feel inside. We try and fill this void with unhealthy amounts of food, alcohol, or drugs.

• We know how to make a living, yet we forgot how to live.

What were your three wins that happened today? Finding victories in the small moments of life will help you better appreciate the big ones. Take the time to write it down on a post-it note or work it into a conversation at lunch with a colleague or at home around the dinner table. This daily practice will help us prevent “In order to” thinking.

• In order to be happy, I need to make more money.

• In order to be successful, I need a new car.

• In order to feel worthy, I need a relationship.

Reframing how you see things. My daughter will be three weeks old on Sunday, and I’m already looking forward to when she can start to sleep longer stretches through the night, so my wife and I don’t have to get up. It’s easy to see things as an “obligation,” and when we do, there is a certain level of heaviness to them.

• I have to do vs. I get to do

I recently read an article about a Navy Seal who was deployed overseas 11 times and missed most of the early years of his daughter’s life. I think to myself; he probably wishes he had more opportunities to be home, even if it was changing a diaper at three in the morning.

What is something you can view as an opportunity instead of an obligation?

Create the space to do nothing. How noisy have our lives become? How long have our to-do lists gotten?

We jump from one task to the next, seeking to check things off a never-ending list. When we continuously seek accomplishment, consumption is not too far behind i.e. had a long day at the office, so grab a six-pack of beer. When we take little moments throughout the day to be still, this gives us perspective and clarity as to what is important and allows us to appreciate the beauty in our lives.

This can be done by staring out the window, driving in silence, or doing a 3-minute guided meditation.  Our lives can begin to have deeper meaning and happiness when we start the practice of being grateful for what we have and where we are at this moment in time.

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope your day is spent with family or friends, having a good meal, and possibly watching some football 🙂

With Gratitude

Eric Papp