What About The Good Things In Life?
| “We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what’s wrong in your life, or you can focus on what’s right.” | |
When should you focus on the good things and leave the bad things unfocused?
Are you aware of any good things in your life? I know that I need to constantly remind myself of the good things in mine. Are you like me, in that you often take things for granted? Why does it seem like we humans are programmed to take the good things in our lives for granted?
My mind’s memory often “screens out” the bad things and only allows me a subconscious memory of the good. This has been true for all of my life. When I concentrate and meditate on a time period of my life, I can remember bad things, but during most of my waking time, my mind seldom “brings up” the bad.
OK, so how does not being aware of the bad things in life affect me. Well, I think, in a way, it makes me “take for granted” the good things. If all I subconsciously remember are the good things, then how do I really know they are good? Now, stay with me on this – I think that balance, in the sense where I “balance” the good with the bad, would and should allow me to not take the good things in life for granted. How can there be “balance” when my mind is only considering “one end of the balance scale?” 
POST NOTE, not, post-it note:-) This post is an example where I am “writing for learning.” You have probably noticed that I am writing as though I am “thinking (writing) out loud.” Indeed, I am!
Now, it is somewhat obvious to me, that I need to consciously think about the good and bad things in my life. Of course, I don’t know about your situation, but mine is such that I have a lot of good things that I should be aware of. Really, here I am sitting at a computer and typing this posting, while in relatively good health with a satisfying life-style and a wonderful family. Please don’t be deceived by my choice of adjectives regarding my health, life-style and family. I’m the first to admit that all three are always changing. Then again, life is a series of changes and my health, life style and family are always changing. Right now and in the foreseeable future, the adjectives of good, satisfying and wonderful seem most appropriate.
I now think it is important to express these feelings in words. Most likely, all of us could and should express our feelings of gratitude for the good things we have in life. This will not only help us, but it will also help others to realize and feel grateful for the good things they have. The expression of gratitude can be “contagious!”
One last confession to make to you, the reader – I did make a list of the good things in my life that I thought I was taking for granted. I was amazed at how hard the list was to start but how easy it was to continue. Once I got started there seemed to be no end. Wow, what a good feeling it was to focus only on the good things in life AND not take them for granted!
Are you taking the good things in your life for granted?
R2 Thoughts for You 