Singlestalk: ‘Greatfullness’

Sunday, January 22, 2012

MICHELLE: The spelling of our title is not a typographical error. It’s great to be grateful. Being grateful allows us to see the fullness of life. Hence, GREATFULLNESS. I have a LOT to be thankful for. First, I turn a year older tomorrow. I thank God for the gift of life. I am in good health (though not as fit or lean as I want to be but hopefully I am getting there), and I am about to embark on my training to run a half marathon before my 31st birthday next year!

I am blessed with good friends, the best and closest being my mom and my sister Jasmin. I am guided by the wise counsel of my dad. The hubby and I are going to celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary, and our two kids are our greatest blessings and the joy in our life. Bo Sanchez in one article wrote that gratitude is a magnet. I want to receive more blessings this year. That is why I am very thankful for the blessings of the past years. Bo said there are two ways of living on earth. We can either grumble, or we can be grateful.

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DJ: I made a resolve last year to be more conscious about the people and things I have instead of focusing on what and who I do not have. Incidentally, I also celebrated my best Christmas since the fifth grade. The main differentiator is my realization that while there still are dreams I need to conquer and items on my bucket list that I still need to cross out, I already have everything that I need. I do not have everything. But who has everything?

M: As Bo wrote, “Gratitude attracts blessings.” There are some people who can’t be grateful because they are waiting for something big to happen for them to be grateful. One day while cleaning my files in the office, I saw a card given to me by a friend. There was no occasion for the card, except that he wanted to thank me for our friendship. Indeed, as Bo said, “Grateful people get more of what they’re grateful for. If they’re grateful for happiness and love and friendships, they’ll have more happiness and love and friendships.”

DJ: It’s surprising that many things we desire are expensive. Because when we really pause and see what’s inside our mind and heart, the things that really satisfy us are free—our relationships, laughter, love and ability to work on our passion.

M: Life is not always good. There are many reasons to complain, but must we? It is very difficult to be grateful in the midst of trying circumstances. It is hard to be cheerful when things are gloomy: when a child is sick, when finances are low, when business is bad or the economy is down. If your outlook in life is a positive one, you will find life easier to deal with. And since you’re the only one who decides on what type of attitude to have, it is infinitely wiser to choose to have a positive attitude.

DJ: I’ve also had my share of days that I wished would never end. There were also days I wished I could simply sleep through. Whether it’s a celebration for a recent promotion or something that dug a hole into our hearts and broke it into pieces, everything shall come to pass. What stays are good memories and the lessons learned. Having this mindset allows me to be grateful and to be thankful always that I am alive.

M: A quote I saw goes, “Your attitudes and the choices you make today will be your life tomorrow; build it wisely.” We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control our attitude toward what happens to us. In the book of Hebrews, it says, “Let us run with perseverance the race set before us.” If we are to enjoy our run here on earth, a good and positive attitude will come in handy. Be grateful.

DJ: Yup. We have enough. We are enough. We can always choose to be happy. Have a happy birthday, Mic!