It’s everywhere – grateful projects, being thankful, counting your blessings – the idea that finding things to be thankful for makes us happier.
It seems so simple, yet it feels so true.
Find the good, and you will be happier.
Even when things seem bad, find the good.
Because it’s never all bad.
Never.
Even when things seem their worst, even in the few times in my life when I have been overwhelmed by hard, scary, sad, hurting stuff, even then, life was not all bad.
It is never all bad.
Even when I couldn’t see anything but the bad stuff, even when I wanted to shut out everything else because I wasn’t sure how else to cope, even then, life was not all bad.
It is never all bad… it’s just not.
There is always good, however small and fragile, we just need to notice it.
Sometimes I have to force myself to notice, sometimes I have to dig around a bit to find the good. And sometimes it slaps me in the face and makes me to realise how truly lucky I am.
So I make a promise to myself to find the good.
And a promise to my children.
If I make an effort to find the good, perhaps my children will be better equiped to do the same. To face set backs knowing that it is not the end of the world. To notice the positive when they are surrounded by negative. To smile in spite of sadness… and maybe, to be happier.
Because isn’t that what we all want for our kids?
For them to be happy?
It’s never all bad.
Find the good.
Do you practice being grateful?
Do you encourage your children to do the same?
Kate Lloyd says
Lovely reminder Kate. :)
Jen aka The Mad House says
Great post. I do try and we have a family gratitude book (I wrote about it here http://www.muminthemadhouse.com/2014/08/08/family-gratitude-journal-ending-day-positive-way/
I have one child that if naturally negative and I am hoping that focussing on gratitude as a family we can turn it around.