Do you have an eye for gratitude?
I have been in Russia for over a week. I was only able to use my own computer to access the Internet once. I woke up early, found a park bench near an apartment building, and shivering from the cold, I was able to tap into someones unsecured WiFi for a few minutes. Otherwise I had to borrow someone’s computer in an office building and clean out my email as fast as I could. In other words…excuse me for not blogging for a while.
The best thing about going to Russia is coming home. When the plane touches down in Phoenix, my heart fills with gratitude. Although we are experiencing an economic crisis, we still have more conveniences and access to possibilities than most places in the world. Here’s a few things to ponder if you live in a first-world democracy…
1. There are many countries living with ridiculous inflation. Our prices are cheap in comparison.
2. We complain about taxes yet love our clean streets, our safe neighborhoods, our ability to have our day in court, and our right to choose our leaders. In many countries, people fear their government instead of feeling protected by them.
3.The economy may be crappy yet we know it will turn around. Hope is real. In many countries, hope has little meaning.
4. We have pretty good access to clean toilets. Now that’s something to be grateful for!!
I recently read that female-owned companies are faring better during this recession than male-owned businesses. We seem to embrace change more quickly and we are more inclined to inspire our community to work together to find solutions. I think it’s also because we focus more on what we have than on what we have lost. Let’s share this “eye for gratitude” as much as we can. We have so much to appreciate in every moment.
Thanks for reading this. I am grateful for you, my community.
In about 1984 I was helping do some development work for athletes in Tanzania. Full of naive enthusiasm, I tried to teach cardiovascular exercises that would “help to burn calories”. The participants, some shivering in the summer heat due to an outbreak of malaria, expressed their anstonishment that anyone would even think about exercising just to burn calories. They sometimes didn’t even know when their next meal would be coming.
That was my first major wake-up call from my travels. Since then I’ve been priveledged enough to be able to see many parts of the world, and I completely agree with Marcia – we’ve got it really good. I am so thankful for enough food and a roof over my head, and ample educational opportunities.
Simply beautiful. Thank you.
I can’t resist another travel story! A few years ago I was in India visiting a friend when the (at least in my case) uninevitable food poisoning struck, leaving me to feel as if the very life force was being sucked from me. In my desparation to find help, my friend took me to her local doctor. As a white, foreign person I was allowed to skip the line ahead of dozens of sick people, some curled up on the floor, all watching me pass by and me feeling even more uncomfortable as I weeded my way around them.
The doctor examined me (I was pretty sure I had picked up some lethal bug, that’s how terrible I felt) and said in a quiet voice, “I can’t believe how healthy you are.” An I guess I was, compared to probably 95% of his other patients.
Nowadays if a person in my country ever complains about some little inconvenience in her life, I think back to that day at the doctor’s office.
REALLY good story. You should create a speech with your stories. Wonderful gems to share.
Yes, we have much to be grateful for in life, even in a third world democracy. Living in India where the ”haves” and ”have nots” are so sharply divided, livng everyday is one of gratitude. I enjoyed reading Lee’s experiences. I agree that Lee can actually create a speech with her stories.
Thank you Susmita. I was hoping to get a global perspective. Having gratitude wherever we are shines a different light on life.
Well put, we do have a lot to be thankful for. It really became apparent to me when I lived in Puerto Rico for a little less than a year. It is a common wealth of the U.S. so enjoys a lot of benefits from the U.S. (currency one that made my life easier) but, there are a lot of challenges. Regular power outtages (reminded me of Phoenix in the 70’s during monsoon season) was one of the most personally challenging in 90+ degree heat with 90+ humidity. Also, I became very grateful for my literacy in english and empathetic with the illiterate in English as I was in Spanish. It is amazing how living in a different culture can increase your level of gratitude by leaps and bounds.
Thanks for the sharing! Your post truly assisted me.