As we near Thanksgiving we begin thinking about gratitude, or at least we should. Gratitude is an absolute necessity, and a spiritual imperative, but is there such a thing as too much gratitude?
Gratitude is developed when you stop and consider all the small and large blessings that you have, some of which you may not have considered, and determine not to take them for granted. So it’s not possible to have too much gratitude.
It is however critical that you determine to not be false or fake. Healthy people keep it real, or keep their mouth shut. That means you don’t have to be grateful for all the disappointments and problems you have faced. You can say, “I’m not happy that this happened”, that’s not being ungrateful. Being grateful is about saying, “I’m not happy that this bad thing happened, but I am so glad I learned this lesson.”
Last year I went through a challenging legal challenge when a commuter train determined to go by one of the Rescue Mission properties. It was a long drawn out battle, with huge legal fees, a trial and lots of headaches. If I had my wishes, it would have never happened, and very little about the process was good. Having said that, I am grateful for the folks I met in the midst of the struggle who I now consider great friends and allies. I am grateful for a fair result. I am grateful for the lessons I learned, lessons I will never forget.
It’s not possible to be too grateful, but it possible to disingenuous. Be genuine, be thankful, be grateful.
David Curry
