Mind Your Manners – A (Very Quick) Reminder to be Thankful

You could probably count on one hand the things I know about Buddhism.

1.  Be Present.
2. Be Mindful (is this the same thing?)
3. Be Thankful.
4. Don’t Kill Spiders.
5. Wear a shed load of Orange.

That said you don’t need to be a self-help guru (which is lucky as I am not) to know that at least 3 of these concepts might make life less of a stress ball and a tad more Tibetan. Clue: Orange is not one of them.

Today I feel like focusing on Being Thankful.  We all love a good old whinge and a moan and a bitch and that-is-ok. BUT how often do you sit back and actually thank the whole goddamn universe for the abundance of its gifts, or at the very least the small scraps of goodness it occasionally tosses your way. Fear not – even if you aren’t a home-made granola and sandals kind of person – the practice of being thankful is just a matter of karmic good manners.

If you stop complaining about what you don’t have (which is very dull and bums you out) and remind yourself regularly what you do have (yay – no one is trying to kill me) karma will come back and offer you some upside. Benefits of being gracious are reported to be better sleep, a healthier heart and a more positive outlook on life. Not a bad trade for a few minutes at the start or end of the day.

I am not going to be self-centred enough to tell you what I am thankful for (I will say that cheese obviously makes my list) but do ask you to bear in mind that it doesn’t mean just saying ‘Cheers’ and accepting your lot in life. I encourage you to strive for more – to strive for whatever your particular-flavoured dream may be – but don’t get so caught up in the hustle that you forget to ‘Never let the things you want make you forget the things you already have.’

Like people who love you. Or work that challenges you. Or a Spotify playlist to be proud of. Or a wedge of Jalsberg.

This Get Happier tip is brought to you by someone who does her best to be gracious but has never been described as graceful.