Ten Minute Fix: Gratitude

Gratitude is essential to happiness. Without it, the ambitious waste their lives working towards goals that bring no satisfaction and the complacent accept the hand life has dealt them; hating every minute of it. When I say gratitude, I’m talking about a deeply felt sensation of appreciation and not politely saying “thank you” for a re-gifted label maker. Real gratitude is what allows us to enjoy life day to day. It motivates us to achieve our goals, and is what we should all be striving to develop.

The Ten Lepers
The biblical story of the ten lepers (Luke 17: 11-19) tells us about, you guessed it, ten lepers. These lepers were told by Jesus to go see the Priests and on their way they were healed. One of them returned to thank Jesus, but the other nine did not. As a kid, this story made me think that we had to be grateful because if we weren’t, we were being rude to Jesus. While it’s true we shouldn’t be rude to Jesus, I believe teachings and commandments are meant for our benefit and not to boost the ego of deity. I imagine the one who was grateful lived a happy life, while the other nine soon forgot their blessing and found new things to be miserable about.

Take ten minutes to follow these simple steps. Repeat as needed to develop the virtue of gratitude.

1. Find a quiet place with no distractions.
2. Think of the ONE thing you are the most grateful for at that moment. No lists of 20 things or even 10 things you’re grateful for. We don’t want to dilute the feeling of gratitude. We want it focused on one person, place, thing, event, idea, etc…
3. Think about that ONE thing for a few minutes. Think about how it makes you feel. Think about how much better your life is with it in it.
4. Pray and thank God for this one thing and anything else that comes to mind.

As you recognize all the good in your life and feel grateful for it, you’ll invite more good things to come your way. Jesus told the leper who thanked him, “thy faith hath made the whole”. All ten lepers were healed, but without gratitude, could they all have been made whole? Let's live a whole life by working our tails off to achieve our goals, and being grateful when we succeed.