Using gratitude to change your perspective

We all live in the same world and although our opportunities may not be the same, we are capable of creating opportunities that we never thought possible. It’s all about perspective.

For example, siblings that grew up under the same living conditions can turn out differently. Although both siblings had the same environment growing up, their perspectives led them to different paths in life.

I hope that we all choose the path of gratitude despite the many challenges we face.

We’ve become accustomed to thinking about all the things we don’t have instead of appreciating the things we have.

We can still be grateful for everything we have while working towards our bigger goals.

Is complaining a habit

For many people, complaining has become a habit without them even noticing it. If we learn how to replace our complaints with gratitude, we could change our perception.

We should be grateful for everything we have now. The things we tend to complain about are the same things others wish they had. Even if we do not have much, it does not mean we should be ungrateful.

An article I read said that you cannot be angry and grateful at the same time. If you practice gratitude, it eliminates the feeling of anger.

Complaining is draining

Complaining usually means we are unhappy about something and that can be draining. How is anyone expected to live a fulfilled life if they constantly focus on all the bad stuff?

Sometimes we may feel like there is no hope, but there is always hope. If we look hard enough, we will find it. And if we can’t find it, then we must create it.

Protect your peace

Not so long ago I used to listen to people complaining about silly things. I don’t anymore. Other people's problems can suck the life out of you and bring you down.

You can be a good friend and listen when someone is going through a rough patch. We all go through challenges in life. But also know the difference between a genuine problem and someone who is complaining for no reason.

How many times have you listened to the same person complain about the same problem over and over again? Eventually, you want to start avoiding the person. Protecting your peace is important.

You need to control the type of energy you allow into your life.

It’s all about perspective

If we are the people doing the complaining, then we need to remind ourselves that we have a lot to be grateful for.

Just by looking around you, you are reading this article from some sort of device and yes…you can read and see the words with your eyes. These are all the little things we take for granted.

We need to start practicing gratitude more because what we look for, we often find. If we are grateful for the things we have in life, we will always get more.

What causes us to be ungrateful

When people are unhappy in life, they often look at other peoples’ lives and want what others have. Instead of focusing on what they have, their focus is on the next person.

Unhappy people should be spending more time on getting their life together instead of wishing to be in someone else’s shoes.

Jealousy can also cause a person to be ungrateful. I used to have jealous people in my life but I cut them off.

Hanging around jealous people is extremely dangerous to your well-being. My ‘friends’ used to call me lucky because of certain things I have in my life.

I am not lucky. It’s just that I’m not afraid to put my head down and get the work done. If it means that I don’t sleep for 24 hours to work at getting what I want, then so be it. If hard work equals luck, then I am extremely lucky.

What to do instead of complaining

Time will pass anyway so how we choose to spend that time, is what will make a difference.

Instead of wasting time complaining, use the same time to think about solutions or possible ways to overcome the problem. I’ve failed at so many things in my life. Sometimes my plans didn’t work out. All my failures have taught me more than any success ever has.

In my previous blog post I mentioned that I had a job I didn’t like, I could have felt sorry for myself, stayed in that job and complained about it. Instead, I created a solution by leaving that job and relocating in search of a new job.

At the time, it felt like my whole life was being turned upside down. I knew that even though things were so bad, I still needed to push beyond my limits to reach new levels in my life.

So much to be grateful for

A great idea is to make a list of all the things you are grateful for in your life and you will realize just how blessed you are.

You can also make a list of all the life-changing moments and what lessons you learned. You will notice how much you’ve changed over the years without even noticing.

If you want to go even further, make a list of all the people that brought value to your life and you will soon realize that you have a lot to be grateful for.

Not so long ago, my health wasn’t great. This illness made me re-evaluate my entire life. I was getting the same calls from the same people who love to complain. Only this time, the way I perceived those conversations were different.

I realized that we focus on things that don’t matter. When I was sick, some days I battled to get out of bed. Those petty arguments over silly things were the last thing on my mind. I was not worried about a dirty house or unkempt hair. My number one priority was just to get out of bed so that I could survive the day. Being sick taught me to never take anything for granted.

Now that I am better again, I don’t have time to entertain people who complain to me over things they can control.

Too many times when people complain, we try our best to help them, but sometimes those people will not even help themselves.

Too many times we empathize with people who choose to live in miserable situations, no matter how many solutions are offered to them.

Some people are more than capable of improving their circumstances, but it ultimately comes down to the actions they take to change their lives.

Practicing gratitude will never take anything away from you. Always protect your peace first before allowing negativity in your life because sometimes, others will take you down with them.