Board-Ansicht
Mix-Ansicht- Ein Dank ans Kollektiv...... - Miesespeter, 06.12.2002, 15:48
Ein Dank ans Kollektiv......
-->...das arbeitende.......
Year-Round Gratitude
by Charley Reese
Last time I moved, I gave away tons of books, and so unfortunately I cannot remember the name of a form of Japanese psychotherapy that is built around gratitude. The name doesn't really matter; I doubt many of us will fly to Japan to hire a shrink. It's the essence that counts.
This theory requires the patient to think constantly of how many people have contributed to his or her life and to look for ways to repay them. It's particularly of interest to us Americans, as we tend to be rather self- centered and to think we are all self-made.
In fact, of course, we are not. But for our parents, we wouldn't exist. For that matter, but for our ancestors, we wouldn't exist. From birth to death we are dependent on others, many of whom we don't know and never see.
Do you grow your own food? Probably not. Someone else has to go to all the trouble and labor to plant, nurture and harvest the food we eat. Still others have to process it and transport it. Still others have to make it available to us for purchase. Every time we put a forkful of turkey into our mouths, we are the beneficiaries of the labor and capital investment of hundreds of people — not to mention the turkey's own contribution of its flesh.
Our medicine cabinets are full of examples of the work and study of many people. We drive vehicles designed and built by others. We drive them on roads built by others. We light, heat and cool our homes with the discoveries and inventions of others, made available to us by the labor of others.
Most of what we know is because of the research and study of others and the teaching by others. If we had to eat only what we produced and knew only what we had personally discovered, we'd be in a savage state. If you saw the recent movie"Cast Away," in which poor, likable Tom Hanks is forced to spend four years alone on an island, you can see what happens to the man denied the assistance of others. It's not pretty. In the movie, Hanks gets to the point where he decides he would rather die than remain alone, eking out a miserable existence.
We would probably all benefit if we spent our time being thankful than if we spent our time griping about things that don't suit us. Even a poor American is better off than a poor Somali, and health care we can't pay for is better than no health care at all. I haven't noticed any hospitals tossing people out because they can't pay. People get the care and then, if they survive, the hospital badgers them for what money it can get. That's usually not much.
In the greater scheme of things, any day above ground is a good day. Most of what troubles most of us is in our minds, in our subjective assessment of things and situations. Whether the proverbial glass is half-full or half-empty depends entirely on our subjective assessment. There is no point in making ourselves miserable with our own thoughts.
I, for one, give thanks to all those who have published my articles and paid for them, and to all those who have read them. You have allowed me to escape the hot sun and the sore back. Given my singular lack of talents, other than stringing words together, I would no doubt have had to earn my bread as a common laborer. I tried that on some occasions, and trust me, writing is better.
Thread gesperrtgesamter Thread:
