Can you be Grateful in Tough Times?

“Enough is a feast.” ~ Buddhist proverb

It has taken a good part of my lifetime to get the gist of being grateful. I am also aware of the difference between being grateful for what I have and knowing when to let something go and make a change.

Having many years of living in what I considered lack that probably was on a certain level, I complained of many things in my life. I never had enough money, I didn’t like my job, I didn’t like where I lived, silly little things got on my nerves, etc. It was in losing some of these things and the threat of losing everything that snapped me into a different reality. I began to imagine if I didn’t have what I had, I would be in much worse shape than I am in now. Then I would have given anything to have back what I had lost, so better to appreciate and enjoy what I have now.

I have made changes that helped improve things for myself, practiced gratitude and received more of what I was grateful for. There is a time for being still and a time for movement. Wisdom comes in knowing the difference.

In tough times it can be easy to forget to be grateful for what we have. We might focus too much on what we are having trouble with or what we don’t have. Yet, this is a time when gratitude is a most important practice. It helps lift your moods and allows for more of what you are grateful for to come to you.

This is not about comparing yourself to anyone else. I do not believe in pointing the finger at someone and saying it could be worse because I have so much more than this person. That’s like putting myself above someone else in judgement.

I believe no matter what we have, we need to be grateful and the only one to compare our self to is our self. I can say I am better or better off than I used to be and that I am more grateful which puts me in a better state of mind.

I need to remember to be grateful for the challenges in my life. They have something to teach and to show opportunities that may be of more benefit to me. It is also an opportunity to grow from the travails of the challenges that come up.

Being grateful can bring more joy and peace. Do not worry about the future. Focus on and be grateful for what you have now.

Being grateful in tough times may be one of the most challenging things we can do but the payoff is one of the greatest.