How often do you stop to appreciate the life you have? We are very lucky in this country as things we often take for granted (such as running water) we see as rights, not privileges.
We are lucky we live in a country where we have the choice of what we buy, where we go, who we see and how we choose to live.
There are lots of little creatures whose quality of life is determined by our consumption. Last quarter we spoke about ethical consumerism and being conscious about the choices we make when purchasing items from the supermarket.
I find marketing within supermarkets very interesting, particularly when looking in the meat section. Have you ever noticed that dairy products often have a picture of a cute cow on them, but when you look at beef packaging they do not, so many of us would prefer not to associate the little life that gave itself for our consumption. I think sometimes it is good for us to reflect on this and think about the quality of life that we are creating through our purchase choices. Where possible, it is good to buy meat and eggs from reputable sources and free range. Then you know that your choices are
supporting the positive treatment of the lives that support you, and be thankful for it.
Being thankful for the unspoken things got me thinking- what else am I thankful for?
Even though we may be going through a tough time, there are hundreds of things we should be grateful for, often putting things into perspective. For example here are a few:
Life, for giving us the chance to experience all we have and all we will.
Friends and family, for being our support when we need them the most, and when we don’t.
Laughter, for bringing joy into our lives.
Mistakes, so that we can grow and become better.
Pain, so that we can become stronger.
The brain, for enabling us to think and problem solve, and store beautiful memories.
All emotions, so that we can appreciate life.
The sun, for bringing warmth, light and helping plants grow.
Animals, for adding diversity and joy into our lives.
Music, for lifting our spirits.
Our homes, for giving us a warm, dry place to live.
It is a great exercise to do, we should all at some point stop to think, on a more personal level, about what we are thankful for.
