Statistics indicate that two-thirds or 66% of Indians live in poverty by earning less than Rs 140 per day. 313 million people out of which 50% women continue to have no access to basic education. A NGO runs campaigns to provide footwear to children to prevent them from walking barefoot to school, sometimes in harsh summers that makes them fall sick.. All of these might seem irrelevant to a person living in a metropolitan city like Bangalore with modern facilities. Unfortunately, such conditions still exist and make us realize that we are lucky that we have enough facilities in our life. In fact, the on-going pandemic has revealed how some people are fortunate to have a home and family to depend on during difficult times, while many others unfortunately lost their lives looking for food, shelter and without timely access to healthcare. We must therefore be grateful to the fact that we live in a relatively safe and peaceful environment.
Gratitude is a virtue, a powerful emotion that makes one feel happy, be connected with people, keeps us energized and optimistic. A general feel-good factor that also results in healthy living. Many methods are followed to practice and inculcate the habit of being grateful. Some maintain a diary or journal to remember the things that they are grateful about. Another way to practice gratitude is to simply be mindful of the many little things that occur in our daily surroundings and be thankful for the same. Here’s a list of various things about which one can be grateful about :
- Being grateful about our family and other people in our lives. Realizing the importance of having a good friend or a sibling and parents who are ever supportive in our endeavors
- Being grateful for the facilities that we have – our comfortable homes, access to good healthcare, even our gadgets, means of transport (a bicycle to ride to school) and so on
- Practice gratitude for smaller but important aspects – such as thanking for food at the time of a meal. This need not be done in a religious sense but simply being thankful or appreciating a farmer’s efforts in supplying a meal to our tables
- Being appreciative of others – Thanking someone for help or even a small deed such as passing a notebook and appreciating their help
- Kindness and humility – Try to include an act of kindness on a day to day basis. Help someone cross the street or volunteer for a cause or simply compliment someone for their efforts
- Appreciate the beauty of nature – Take time off to look at the stars, listen to the chirping birds early in the morning or observe the atmosphere after a good rain
- Try to avoid negativities – such as negative media content spreading hatred or speaking badly about someone or gossiping
- Try to view things in a positive light and avoid complaining
These can be practiced on a daily basis to begin with and changes in one’s personality can be observed.
We at Samsidh, strive to inculcate more such values for the overall development of our students.