Gratitude for our loved ones | Edition #2
"When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in." - Kristin Armstrong, Olympic Gold Medalist
A quick story …
Remember Howard Hughes from the movie ‘The Aviator’?
It’s a great movie starring one of my favorite actors, Leonardo Dicaprio, in the lead role.
For those who haven’t seen the movie, Howard Hughes was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, filmmaker, and philanthropist.
He was one of the wealthiest individuals in the world during his lifetime. He inherited a fortune from his family and later expanded his wealth through various business ventures, including aviation and film production.
But despite his immense wealth and fame, Hughes had strained relationships with his family members and friends.
He spent much of his later years living in seclusion, often in hotels, where he became known for his obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
Hughes lacked close personal relationships, and his reclusive lifestyle made him lonely and isolated.
He had lot of money, but he was poor in love.
Knowing this, would you trade places with him? Would you exchange the love you have in your life for all the fame and fortune he had?
If your answer is no, you are already richer than him and many others like him.
Being consistently grateful is the single most powerful habit to transform one’s life. Share this post with your friends, family, or anyone who can benefit from it.
What’s life without loved ones anyways?
Imagine someone you really love. It can be your spouse, parents, children, friend, or anyone else in family.
Think about all the ways they add happiness in your life.
Think of the roles they play or have played in your life.
If it’s your parents, think back on times they showered you with love and sacrifices they made to bring you up.
If it’s your spouse or partner, think of little times they expressed their love to you and laughed on your silly jokes.
If it’s a friend or family member, think of sweet memories and times you spent together.
And now for a moment imagine what happens if they disappear from your life. It’s challenging to imagine a negative scenario like this, but this can happen to anyone. It’s a reality of life.
How terribly will you miss their presence? What not will you give to have them back in your life?
Thank this universe that they are with you today, that they add color and richness to your life. They are the source of love in your life and make it worth living.
No grudges, only gratitude
When we live with other people, it is natural that sometimes there is a fall out. Sometimes we fight. Sometimes we hold a grudge against someone. We harbor resentment. When we do that, we close our hearts and devoid ourselves of the love that flows naturally.
We all have limited time in this world. Life has given us a gift of love by surrounding us with people who care about us. There is no bigger blessing than that.
Nothing - no amount of money, fame, or validation - can replace the love that you exchange with people you care. So if you have a grudge against someone, let it go, even if for a moment.
Be thankful for presence of the loved ones in your life, for they are more precious than all the riches in the world.
Here’s what the one of the richest man on earth has to say about it
“I know people who have a lot of money, and they get testimonial dinners and they get hospital wings named after them. But the truth is that nobody in the world loves them,” said Buffett. “If you get to my age in life and nobody thinks well of you, I don’t care how big your bank account is, your life is a disaster.” - Warren Buffet, American Investor and Billionaire
So take a moment to celebrate the wealth of love in your life today!
Example of emotions to be grateful for
The presence of loved ones is the greatest gift of life. Here are a few examples of what practicing gratitude for them looks like:
“I am so thankful to my mother, who loved me unconditionally and made so many sacrifices in my childhood. Who still deeply care about me everyday.”
“I am so grateful for the friendships I had back in college. We laughed like crazy! It made me feel safe and accepted.”
“I am so grateful for my life partner. We fight sometimes, but I know how much we love each other. We always stand by each other in difficult times.”
“I am so grateful for my siblings and cousins. They made my childhood beautiful.”
Build the gratitude habit: Exercise for the week
Start a gratitude journal if you don’t have one already. It can be a physical notebook or an online note taking app. Anything that you can easily access works. Just keep it simple!
List down name of one person in your life who you are grateful for. Write why you love them and how they make your life better.
Take out just 5-10 minutes everyday to list a different person you are grateful for and why. Log it in your gratitude journal.
[Additional step if you are brimming with gratitude already] Reach out to 1-2 people in your list to say thank you for being in your life. If you haven’t been in touch, just reach out to say Hi!
That’s it! Start a gratitude journal and keep logging gratitude for people you love. See how this tiny little action will snowball into something huge and magically transform your relationships!
Share this post with your friends, family, or anyone who can benefit from building the gratitude habit!