The Gratitude Challenge

Recently a friend challenged me to a 'Gratitude' challenge on Facebook. It is perhaps one of the sweetest and easiest tasks I have had to do. It is so easy to be grateful.

The tougher challenge would be declaring all that we are not happy with. Yes, it is easy to complain, but to list out all ones shortcomings, failures or unfulfilled wishes, is a harsh and painful exercise. Especially on a public platform. To reveal fears, truths and real failures, is one of the hardest truths in life.

When I began this column a year ago, writing about how the rich, affluent people live seemed like the easiest thing in the world. And for the most part, it has been. But while I've been tracking social trends of the rich and famous, watching their spending patterns, their behavioral trends, I have learnt so much. And some of it has been difficult.

It is the gratitude that we sport so loudly on our sleeves that we forget about every day. We should be gracious for the little things, and often, we are, but when we're stuck in traffic, or not invited to a party, that is what we focus on. We push things out of our way when we want to get somewhere. We do this physically, as well as metaphorically. We are all in a mad crazy rush to get there. To buy one more pair of shoes, be photographed one more time, be at one other dinner table or add one more friend to our never ending list.

And of course we appreciate our real gifts from God. Go to anyone's Facebook page and you'll chance upon the graciousness for our children, our families, our amazing friends, our dogs, we just don't remember all this when we really need to. When we are striving for something else, we just don't remember what we already have.

When I realized a few years ago, that neither my children nor I, could resist buying and stocking new things, I made a decision. The stuff was too much and too tempting to resist. So we bought a big bin for each of them and said that every time they open a new toy, something has to go from their rooms. This continues till today. Sometimes, it is difficult for them to choose not what they are done with, but what they are willing to let go. Now we don't fill bins, we directly give away to those in need. And every few times that we clear things out, I realize that this is what God does to us to. He fills up our lives with things, with people, with friends, with happiness and sadness, difficulties and joys, with failures and victories. We are then faced with the reality of temptation. We want to tip the balance. We want more joy, more excitement, and more ecstasy. And we reach for it. But every time we get something new, we need to give something up.

Be careful what you wish for and hold on to what you have. It may not be the best, but how ready are you to throw it away. And in the case of life, the choice is not always ours. We are blessed in many ways, but we have a responsibility to cherish those blessings, maybe more that we already are.

And on that note, I end my last column in this series. Remember, it is easy to lead the good life, but to live it well, one must cherish every bit of it.