The Rest Is Gravy

It's so easy to be ungrateful. Sometimes it seems as if I have an eye only for what's going wrong in my life more than what's going right. Possibly it's because I am wired for problem solving. I read that somewhere, as women we are always looking to problem solve. To smooth and iron things out. So, by default our concentration goes to what's going wrong so we can fix it. Then of course, when we do succeed, we go hunting for more problems to repair. Next thing we know, we're depressed because hunting for problems unearths a whole host of them, bucket-fulls actually. The finding problems versus repairing them doesn't balance out and we end up with a shortfall in the "what's good" column.


Appreciate what you DO have.
So, if you receive anything
else, it will be
an extra.

So, there goes being happy, ever, right? Wrong. There's nothing wrong with problem solving. Where I go wrong is obsessing about an issue even when it is irreparable. Where I go wrong is casting my eye too long in the "what's wrong" column of my life.
The other day, Sunshine and I were having a discussion about  the  Problem People in our life. We decided it would be better to lower our expectations of these negative folks in our lives. Such that if they do finally come around then it would be a bonus for us. It would be like getting gravy over a meal that doesn't really require any. The gravy is a welcome extra.

Going further, we decided to extend this same courtesy to other areas in our life; by appreciating everything that is already in our life without wishing and wanting for "stuff" that we don't need. Eventually, if what we wanted (read: don't need) comes along, then it's gravy.
Looking at each of our lives we figured out we've got: gainful employment, loving and close family members, tranquil homes, peaceful minds, we're not going hungry, neither are we short of gas money to drive to work. So, as it were, we're really happy and obsessing about the bantam things that are going wrong is only driving us crazy for no good reason.

Examine your own life. Are you reading this article, undisturbed, on your latest electronic gadget, or your personal computer or I-phone? Are you starving? Do you lack school fees for you or your kids? Do you have clothes to wear? Do you have a stable job? Do you have a steady address, a dependable car? Do you have loving family members who hug your neck with genuine Love from time to time? Do you have good friends that call you up just to check on you and tell you they love you? Are you a picture of health? What more do you need? The rest.... is just gravy, baby!

Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.

~Seneca