A Grateful Heart Spells the Difference

A Grateful Heart Spells the Difference

Yesterday, February 6, 2012, was a day different from all others. In the very place I live, a 6.8 strong earthquake hit us and a tsunami alert was issued by Philvoics. After an hour, reports that the sea level was rising hit the air and went viral via cellphones. Soon, people were rushing out of their houses, frantically running towards elevated places, carrying no belongings with them but their lives and the lives of their precious children. Panic set in and even huge malls were left unattended as attendants, sales clerks and other employees scampered for their lives, including the sentries. It was certainly a heyday for thieves and robbers, but also a frustrating one, as they realized they only have two hands.

After the tsunami alert was lifted, the throng hastily headed back to their individual homes, only to find their homes ransacked and many, if not most of their belongings (which cost them their lifetime earnings) ransacked and stolen.

The reactions were mixed, but I can classify them into two groups: the grateful and the ungrateful.

The ungrateful arrived home stressed, tired and exhausted, only to find more stress aggravating circumstances. So they ranted and raved against the false alarm, against the government, against the media,  against the thieves, against society as a whole, against the deities.. Infuriated and raged, they slept and tossed at night and faced the morning with the same feeling of anger and frustration and most likely, they will vent it to the people around them and create a ripple of negative feelings.

The grateful on the other hand arrived home tired but relieved, thankful that the tsunami did not materialize. They shudder at the thought of what could have been and their hearts are filled with gratitude that they are still alive. Though they lost some or most of their belongings, they shrug it off, knowing that their lives are more precious than their belongings and they comfort themselves with the joy of having their family intact. They are able to sleep well at night, greet the morning with a smile and send positive vibes to all people around them.

I tell you, the second group is rare. But they are the kind of people who succeed more, win more battles and live more fulfilling lives.
                           
"What has this got to do with my diabetes?"  you might ask. A lot. You are also fighting a battle against diabetes. One way to win the battle is to keep the stress down, and one very effective way to keep the stress down is to be thankful about everything and looking at the brighter side of life. Think how much worry, frustration, anger and resentment you are going to save yourself from. And think how good that would be for your life.