Gratitude

My podcast quote for this week is “The solution to complaints is gratitude.”

When I heard this quote last week, I deeply understood the podcaster’s message. In high school’s senior yearbook, I was given the title, “Class Protestor,” because of my love of arguing about social issues and injustices. I still love debating things people do not like to talk about in polite society. However, for a (long) period of my life, sometimes my agruments were waged not on social issues, but personal real and imagined injustices that God and other people had committed againt me. I stopped seeing God and other people’s inate goodness and only saw pain and suffering, with me as the constant victim. I thought God and other people were hypocritical, manipulative and cruel. It prevented me from going out to certain places for fear of being mugged or raped. I saw threat and danger everywhere from anyone – including family. My house became my only sanctuary. The pandemic did not help my complaints against and fear of the world.

Then God gave me a gift I wasn’t expecting, and gratitude filled my heart. I started praising His name. I slowly began to see how He worked in the world, not just the suffering I thought He caused, or rather allowed, but also the good. I started realizing that sometimes bad things happen to people. It’s not a test or punishment – it’s life. You can’t control everything, but the point is to focus on what you can control – your response, your attitude, your actions. When I chose to see the good instead of focusing on the bad, and when I chose gratitude for my blessings, instead of cursing my predicaments, I stopped having less situations where i would make mountains out of molehills. Don’t get me wrong, I still need reminders. My friends will definitely say that. Yet, they happen less often now and with less damaging effects.

I know I will always be paranoid and anxious. However, I choose not to dwell there. I’m not being Pollyanna. I am aware that evil still exists in the world. Nevertheless, there is more goodness in the world than evil. The media just enjoys showing the injustice and suffering in the world. Yet I will still keep informed by the news. I will still argue about the injustices and suffering I see. What I will try to do is make it less about me and crimes against my person. It will be more about saying, “Yes, this is horrible, but this is how I intend to change things. This is how I can change this issue so it doesn’t spew its poison in my life or anyone else’s. “

I don’t mind the title of “Class Protestor” anymore, because I’m a protestor who has remembered there are still so many things to be grateful for. I’m spewing gratitude on my social media and in my life. What to come join? Then you have to start, as Mel Robbins says, “Let Them” but don’t forget the second part of that statement – “Let Me.”

Until next time! Peace