The Effectiveness of Being Grateful

I once went to a motivational programme, and one of the speakers told us that by opening the door of Syukur, that is to say, by being grateful and by thanking Allah for the things that we have, we can always be happy and calm. Being happy and calm. Would you ask for more?

But at that particular moment, his message didn't really make that much sense to me, because, well when you go to talks like that, they're always delivering cliched stuff you hear from every other random person, you tend to take whatever they say for granted. As in, aaaah yeah, syukur? Aha, true that. 

And as I'm speaking, you, my reader might as well be taking this for granted, aren't you? This, as in this entry? But someday, I promise you, there will be the moment, when you realize that you haven't actually been so much of a thankful servant, all the while trying to own things that you think will make you happy. 

I found this circulating on facebook : 

You think you're not pretty. There's always someone uglier.

You want more money. People are in poverty.

You want a boyfriend. Someone doesn't even have parents.

You are hungry. A child is starving.

You want to go to the mall. Someone is looking for anything they can wear just to stay warm.

You're chilly. Others are frozen.

You just want to die. Most people want to live. 

So don't waste your time on things you think you want,

because there is always someone out there who needs it-much more than you ever possibly know.

Your being able to be reading this right now is already something to thank Allah for. For having the internet connection. For having copious spare time others might kill for. For being able to understand words. 

Be grateful. Look at the things that you have. Imagine what would it be like if you're blind. or sick. or homeless. And it is never sinful to be wishing to own more. As long as you stay in the perimeter and you're not making yourself unhappy. Pray. Allah listens.