If I could change one thing in the world, it would be to make everyone grateful.
Yeah. I am talking about making people say at least thank you when something is done for them. But then, it goes beyond that.
In this brief article, I am going to share
- What I mean by being grateful
- How the world would benefit from a little extra gratitude, and
- How the change (widespread gratitude) would begin
Let's begin
Canva - by @southchurchguy
What it means for everyone to be grateful
To be grateful is to appreciate the things people do for you and the events that life brings to your path. Of course, you should be thankful for the good things. But there is also wisdom to be grateful for the bad. Let's break these down in detail.
#1. Being grateful for the good
There is a lot of good being done in this world. Some of these goods are direct, while others are indirect. For instance, receiving a gift is a direct good. Having a prompt like this from Hive Naija is another kind of good.
A grateful approach to life allows you to fully appreciate the good that is being done to you and to make the best out of them.
For instance, if you are truly grateful for a gift, you will cherish it. And if you are truly grateful for the prompt that Hive Naija has provided for this week, you will do your best to ensure you write the best content you can deliver. It may not be the best content overall, but it is the best you can deliver. And that you did your very best is the only thing that matters.
#2. Being grateful for the bad
Just as we experience a lot of good in the world, we also notice a lot of bad. Some of these bad things are a result of people's bad choices, but most are simply bad things happening for no reason. However, the case may be, there are always reasons to be thankful.
Of course, the first reason is that things can always be worse than they currently are. But I believe our focus should be on how we can use the bad things to get better.
I am not going to be all "positive vibes" and say every bad thing has a positive value. There are many bad things that happen for meaningless reasons or because of someone's wickedness.
But even in that, we are grateful for life, for friends and for the ability to push through these bad things. This attitude helps you recover quickly from bad events and make the best out of your situation.
Canva - by @southchurchguy
How the world would benefit from a little extra gratitude
Imagine a world where everyone was genuinely appreciative of every good thing and used a grateful attitude to deal with bad events. What do you think will happen? I'll tell you.
#1. People will be motivated to do good
Being appreciated for the good you do is a great motivation. It shows that your actions are making the world a better place, which will, in turn, motivate you to do more.
On the other hand, when you don't receive appreciation for the good you do, you tend to feel discouraged. Even if you are not going good for the appreciation, it is always great to have the people you are doing good to show some gratitude.
#2. People will make more out of life
A grateful approach to life motivates you to make the most out of every opportunity that life throws your way. If you can't make use of it, you try to share it with someone who can. This attitude reduces wastage and ensures that the limited resources we have are well used.
On the other hand, an ungrateful attitude can cause one to waste even the best of opportunities. There are literally no upsides to being ungrateful, even in bad times.
#3. The world becomes a better place
If everyone was grateful and cultivated a grateful mindset, the world would become a better place. The world becoming a better place is not only good for you and me. It is also great for unborn kids.
Plus, think of all the innovations and inventions that could come about when people are appreciated for the good they do and are looking to make the best out of every opportunity.
That's certainly a world I would love to live in.
Canva - by @southchurchguy
How the change (widespread gratitude) would begin
A popular quote says: "Be the change you want to be". I think that the first change has to start with me. I dont just think it. I know it. The plan is to start the change by myself and get others to join the trend.
#1. Starting the change myself
I've always believed in being grateful for anything life throws at me, either good or bad. This prompt is one of the things I've received, and I am doing the best of my ability to ensure I deliver a good job. Beyond that, I am grateful for all the support I get.
I also show gratitude for the insightful posts I read on this platform and behind. Many of these pieces contain invaluable gems that could positively transform how we interact with ourselves and change the world for good.
#2. Get others to join the gratitude trend
Writing this post is just one way to get people to incorporate gratitude. Another option is to lead by example. These two will work together to inspire someone to adopt gratitude. Then that person inspires another and son, and you have a chain reaction.
Of course, things like this start small. But when they get set in motion, they can create a ripple effect that will cause a profound impact.
If you notice, everything hinges on hope. I hope that my actions will inspire others. I hope that this write up will cause you to adopt gratitude. But I am grateful for that hope, and I am going to make the best out of it.
This is my response to @hive-naija prompt
Thanks for reading.
