Thanks, but Deeper

Before, if you'd asked me what I'm grateful for, I'd have come up with a list quickly: I'm grateful for the roof over my head, the food we eat, the clothing we wear, my family and friends! But ask me how often I feel grateful, and there's an issue—my feelings of gratitude were often short-lived and conditional.

It's easy to conjure a sense of gratitude when thinking of those who have less. What’s much harder is feeling truly grateful when comparing myself to those who have more.

The gratitude I feel for my home wilts a little when I step into someone else’s much larger home. My feelings of gratitude for the clothing that keeps me warm and dry dissipate when I step into a mall and see new fancy clothes.

This is where the real work begins—living a grateful life—finding contentment to truly live in a state of gratitude rather than just experiencing gratitude in bursts.

Living here in New Zealand—an incredibly laid-back country—changed me. Most Kiwis (at least the people I know) don't care about what you do for a living, your status at work, how you dress, or how many branded material things you have. Instead, they are out there walking, fishing, hiking, or napping under a tree!—experiencing what the world can offer them for free.

Ask me now, and I'd say I'm grateful for our old lockwood home. It's our first house here in NZ, it keeps the heat inside effectively, and it's where we learned to cook the best steaks and roasts. I'm grateful for my clothes—AJ bought them for me with his first hard-earned money working overseas, plus they are incredibly cute!

I've also started to notice the little things—the fresh air, a tasty breakfast, our tidy kitchen, clean linens, and quiet, peaceful mornings.

Being content doesn’t mean that you don't have goals or things you'd like to improve about your life. It just means that you don't let your 'wants' consume you.

I don't just want to be grateful for things I have that others don't. I want to be grateful in spite of what others have that I don't. When you're thankful for what you have, you’re less likely to feel the need to have what other people possess.

Stop looking for happiness 'out there' and learn to find it right here. It's about recognizing the good in every day and taking time to pause and say, "I appreciate this moment." ✨