Gratitude

"Grateful people are happy people and those who aren't, aren't." I heard that many years ago in a 12 Step fellowship meeting and have ruminated on it many times since. I was of the sort that believed I would be happy when I achieved some arbitrary milestone: get out of my childhood home, get a job, get a better job, get a steady girlfriend, get married, get some money in the bank, get a new car, etc. Looking back, my life was pretty much about "getting" with little giving. Now, I got all those things, and much more, but I wasn't happy. Sure, there were happy times, moments hilarious, but I had a hole inside of me that was never truly filled, a longing in my heart for something I could not identify. And gratitude was not even on my radar.

As I said I acquired all those "things" I thought would make me happy and lost them all as well. At 30 years of age I was bankrupt in every area of my life and sought solace in blinding intoxication. Finally I found myself at a jumping off point, and by Grace I found a fellowship of people who understood my dilemma and offered a way out. They taught me that to get, I had to give first. To be respected, first I had to show respect to others, especially those I didn't agree with. Love, first be loving toward others, and learn to appreciate, be grateful for the things in my life today as well as the things that had been removed, for all are lessons in living. As I began walking this path, following directions, that place I had tried to fill with "stuff" began to fill, with gratitude. I was told as well that these new principles in living needed to be refreshed daily, and if I did, a day at a time, my life would grow and change in truly miraculous ways.

That was many years ago, and I can say today without equivocation, they were right. Has it been easy, no. Has it been worth it, oh God yes, and today I truly understand that happiness is birthed in gratitude.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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