The Importance of Gratitude/ Making a Gratitude List is a Step in the Right Direction

     If you have ever been down on your luck in one way or another, perhaps life just was not going well for you at the time, and you felt like giving up.  Many, many people have substance abuse problems, and the first thing in any state of hopelessness, is the jumping off period.  This is the time to begin.  It is back to basics.
     The first thing to do is make a gratitude list, even however small, even if it is only three things.  If you think, many things will come to mind that one never even thought of.  Even little things count.
     When you think about people who survived Auschwitz, (I know people whose parents or grandparents did, as well as other concentration camps, and have read many books about people who have lived to tell) you will know that one can survive on the smallest amount of food and be grateful.  Even through great physical suffering, and seeing family die, and friends die, the smallest things are a great fortune to the survivor.
     We all have one-hundred percent chance of dying eventually, but now that we are alive, we have to live life to the fullest.  As I have said before in other blogs, I am not afraid to die.  I am afraid of not living.  Gandhi said, "learn like you will live forever.  Live like you will die tomorrow."  I think he meant put your heart and soul into all you learn and do.
     I am going to give an example of a simple gratitude list, my own: my live Christmas tree my friends helped me go out and get, and the stand my friends bought for me.  My kids are healthy.  I still have some eyesight to enjoy for work and pleasure.  I have food and shelter.  I can pay my bills.  I have peace of mind.  I could think of more, but this is an example.
     Much love to all, and wish everyone a safe happy Christmas and new year!  I guess Hanukah came early this year.