Abject Poverty

I just returned from a trip that I was very fortunate to go on, thanks to the generosity of my sister.  As you can imagine, I am very grateful for my sister, and for my brothers as well.

While it might seem to be the perfect time to show my immense gratitude to my sister for organizing and orchestrating the entire trip, what struck me at such a deep level was the unbelievable level of poverty that we witnessed.

I was very grateful for the trip, however, I was even more grateful for the opportunity to see how these people lived.  I like to think that I have a very high appreciation level for my life, but this trip reinforced even more the gratitude that I feel to be so blessed and enjoy the life style that I do.

Also, it was interesting to see how happy all of the people seemed to be, and that may be another great message that happiness does not come from material possessions or living conditions.  But, it still reminded me once again how important it is to be grateful for everything you have in your life, and to focus on that consistently.

Embracing gratitude and writing in your daily gratitude journal keeps you focused on your abundance and your blessings….

Now a gratitude tip for the day…….Take 1-2 minutes today to reflect on some of the things that we all to often take for granted:  a conversation with a close friend, a comfortable living situation, a warm bed, a hot shower, a home-cooked meal and so on.  Then notice the difference in your mindset.