Am I the Only One?
Last night I found myself obsessing over a minor complaint. I’m good at that…obsessing…spending the precious hours of my life making myself miserable. I remember the book, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” by Richard Carlson. It’s an old book with a message that never grows old. Much of what we obsess over is the small stuff. That’s why I refer to it as perspiration instead of inspiration.
There’s been a lot of research about the power of gratitude. In one randomized controlled trial in the UK, it was found that those who kept a gratitude journal for 21 days improved their sense of wellbeing and actually increased their gratitude, as opposed to the control group who reported a reduction in well-being during the study.
In addition, it was found that more frequent prayer increased gratitude.
The study showed that those who prayed more often experienced increased gratitude 6 weeks later.
There’s even research- based evidence that gratitude has a positive effect on your health.
Here’s an Example
I’ll give you a personal example. In December of 2019, I took my cat to the vet. He had previously been diagnosed with kidney disease but his numbers were not alarming. During this visit, his numbers turned out to be extremely alarming and I was told he had less than a week to live.
The only way to extend his life was by hydrating him via a needle stuck under his skin. And I was supposed to do this! They tried it once in an effort to show me how to do it. He would have none of it…or should I say, we would have none of it. He didn’t like it, and my degree is in Counseling, not Veterinary Medicine.
I told them I was taking him home and setting up a Hospice situation, but no hydration. They agreed, and I love my vet, but she predicted he definitely wouldn’t live past January.
This was December, and the Coronavirus had us quarantined by March. Although I was in a hyper alert state over his health, I was so grateful to have Zachary, my baby, with me during this time.
I truly believe my state of gratitude extended his life. He finally succumbed on June 1st. I believe a combination of gratitude combined with his will to live gave him 5 extra months. I was so lucky to have this extra time.
The Problem with Worrying
People obsess on their worries. As you know, if you’ve studied The Law of Attraction, what you focus on grows.
I would guess gratitude isn’t the focus of most people’s obsessions.
So, join me… In 2021, if we’re going to obsess, let’s obsess on the good things in our lives.
Minute Meditations for the Soul 