One of my favorite topics. Sometimes things don’t go so well, and you are feeling sorry for yourself. Poor me. Life sucks. What I suggest you do in these situations is to make a gratitude list. Make a list of everything you are thankful for. Spend an hour on this. There are the easy things—your job, your spouse, your house. Then there are the little intangibles. Rack your brain until you can’t think of any more. My guess is, if you do it right, you will have a list of 50-100 things that you are thankful for.
A few months ago a woman speaking in our church said, "It is impossible to be happier than you are grateful." I have known this for a long time, but appreciated hearing it expressed so succinctly.
When our focus is on what we want but don't have, we tend to be unhappy. This is distinct from having goals we are pursuing and seeking to grow and improve. All of us should be trying to progress and improve. But we should never fall into the "I'll be happy when..." trap. And gratitude is probably the most important factor in being happy now.
My soon-to-be 94-year-old father when asked about his longevity will say he is grateful for his health despite all of his "aches and pains" and above all his "peace of mind". I'm grateful to still have him with us and the wisdom he has passed along. He is a retired UAW member who always valued his family.
When I was rich, I didn't know I was rich; and when I was poor I was still richer than 90% of the people in the world. Therefore I have learned to be content whatever my circumstances.
I'm curious why you say you are grateful for surviving 9/11. I have read your work for years and didn't read that you were near the WTC that day. Lehman offices were midtown, were they not? I'm not publicly challenging, just trying to understand....
A few months ago a woman speaking in our church said, "It is impossible to be happier than you are grateful." I have known this for a long time, but appreciated hearing it expressed so succinctly.
When our focus is on what we want but don't have, we tend to be unhappy. This is distinct from having goals we are pursuing and seeking to grow and improve. All of us should be trying to progress and improve. But we should never fall into the "I'll be happy when..." trap. And gratitude is probably the most important factor in being happy now.
Thanks for another great essay!
You don’t want a condo on Miami Beach.
My soon-to-be 94-year-old father when asked about his longevity will say he is grateful for his health despite all of his "aches and pains" and above all his "peace of mind". I'm grateful to still have him with us and the wisdom he has passed along. He is a retired UAW member who always valued his family.
When I was rich, I didn't know I was rich; and when I was poor I was still richer than 90% of the people in the world. Therefore I have learned to be content whatever my circumstances.
I like when I have to look up vocab in your writing Jared. Encomiums. Also, the line "It's raining pianos" in TDD was priceless! :-)
I'm curious why you say you are grateful for surviving 9/11. I have read your work for years and didn't read that you were near the WTC that day. Lehman offices were midtown, were they not? I'm not publicly challenging, just trying to understand....
If you had read STREET FREAK or THOSE BASTARDS, you would have your answer. Also, this is rude.