The Power of Gratefulness

Here's a condensed version of an "inspiring speech" that I delivered over the weekend at my Toastmasters club's multipurpose extravaganza (i.e., Speak-A-Thon / Fundraiser / Pre-Holiday Celebration). May you be inspired...

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Would you describe yourself as someone who “lives gratefully”? Do you take some time, once in a while, to pause and think about all the things that you’re grateful for? In recent years, I’ve discovered that this practice is good for me.

In looking back on those hurricane relief trips we took to Louisiana and Mississippi, the life lessons that the survivors of the Storm taught me were far more significant than any physical help we gave them. In the midst of a huge jumble of emotions, the one that emerged from this disaster as a source of strength for many of the residents we talked to was…the feeling of gratefulness that they even survived. Even though they had lost all of their worldly possessions and everything seemed out of their control, they were humbled and grateful for what they did have left. It may not have been much, but it was what they could cling on to, as an anchor so that they could look ahead at getting their lives back in order. What a humbling perspective that was for me.

I caught another glimpse of the "power of gratefulness" in my friend, Ms. R, whose mother has pancreatic cancer. When her mom was diagnosed earlier this year, the doctors had predicted that she probably wouldn’t survive more than 4 to 6 months. It was Month 10 when Ms. R gave me this update. I was struck by how Ms. R calmly described how grateful she was to have these extra months with her mother – “bonus months”, she called them. I marveled at how she seemed so at peace and grateful, while facing the reality that her mother won’t be around for much longer.

Making it a habit to be conscious of the things we're grateful for in life has been shown to have a positive impact in many ways. The Research Project on Gratitude and Thanksgiving, for example, suggests that you can increase your sense of well-being and create positive social effects just from counting your blessings. Living gratefully and living simply also seem to go hand-in-hand. When we are grateful for what we have, we tend to appreciate “the simple things” more – e.g., the kindness of others, the beauty of nature, etc. And when tough times hit, we may be more ready to remember and cling on to those things that we’re grateful for, in order to endure the challenge.

So I ask you, "What are YOU grateful for?"