Friday, December 28, 2007

Gratitude..


Something interesting I read on Gulf News this morning. It was about being grateful for things that happen in our lives (good or bad). Although it's something pretty well known that we should be grateful for everything, it's always good to have reminders and hear what others express gratitude for. Here's what one lady had to say about gratitude:
Shemsah Musabih, an accredited Life Coach, specialising in relationships, says: "People sometimes focus on bad times and forget the pleasant and positive things in their lives. I truly believe a sense of gratitude ignites positive feelings in you.''
She has experienced many things in her life that fill her with a very positive feeling.
"I was born in USA but spent most of my life in the UAE. One of the strongest memories I have of my childhood is of my mother showing pictures of starving children to my brothers and me whenever we refused our food. She used to remind us of what they didn't have and all the things that we had to be grateful for.
"My father always reminded us to thank God whenever we saw people who were suffering, sick, or poor and for us not being that way.
"We also grew up being told that there's a blessing and wisdom behind everything that we go through - the good and the bad. We may not understand it now, but someday, when we look back upon our lives, we will realise the truth.
"I believe that we get what we deserve and we have to earn what we want in life. The only way we can prove that we will be grateful for the things we want and won't take them for granted, is by being grateful for the things that we have.
"By being grateful, we realise that we have so many reasons to celebrate and share happiness. It puts life into perspective and keeps us going.''
One of the fondest memories she has of childhood is of spending a summer with her father in London.
"It was just him and I. I felt very close to him and he made me feel very special. We didn't do anything out of the ordinary. We went shopping, to the park and simply hung out together.
"I've spoken about it so many times, however, now that I think about it I never actually thanked him, so I'd like to take this opportunity to say "Thank you Baba for making me feel special".
Shemsah's lists things she is grateful for:
- The family that I grew up in. (That experience moulded me into who I am today).
- My husband and son (my inspirations and support).
- My friends and relationships (my balance in life).
- My health and beauty.
- My experience through postpartum depression (It taught me to be more compassionate and grateful. I am a better woman, wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, and citizen because of it).
- My knowledge and Islam (My empowerment).
- Being half American and half Emirati (I got the best of both worlds).
- My safety and security (I'm grateful that I'm living in a place like Dubai).
- My time (I am grateful for each day that I am able to wake up and do the things that I want to do and share my time with the people that I love).
- My food, clothes, house, wealth and nannies (I am grateful for not having the stress of not knowing where I am going to sleep tonight, or how I am going to get my next meal).

2 comments:

Bookworm said...

oh! I read the same article yesterday as well. Liked it ;)

"By being grateful, we realise that we have so many reasons to celebrate and share happiness. It puts life into perspective and keeps us going.''

"We also grew up being told that there's a blessing and wisdom behind everything that we go through - the good and the bad. We may not understand it now, but someday, when we look back upon our lives, we will realise the truth.

- I try to keep that in mind, but sometimes I just forget or can't. There is a wisdom behind everything and if we truly believe that, I think life would be much easier on all of us.

El Hazard said...

Agreed, but like you said it's hard to remember at times and at others it just seems near impossible to do..

Yalla, we'll keep trying though and inshalla one day it'll become easy.