I’ve been in a quandary since last week. I don’t know whether to be ecstatic Collingwood made the AFL grand final, or miserable South Sydney didn’t make the NRL Grand Final.
The choice between being miserable or happy seems obvious, and especially when the events are 100 per cent outside our influence - like footy teams getting into grand finals.
Yet, it’s amazing how many of us choose the sadder option.
So for the next week I’ve decided to be so grateful that Collingwood are in the AFL Grand Final that I’m only going to wear black and white for the rest of the week!
“But don’t priests walk around wearing black and white (there’s that tiny bit of white we wear around the neck) already?” I’m hearing you ask…. Shhh! Stop spoiling my fandom.
Seriously. There are many paths that lead to happiness, but the quickest I know is gratitude.
Eckhart Tolle tells us happiness is living in this present moment. But the Delai Lama has told us that happiness “comes from your own actions”.
To add to the confusion Tony Robbins tells us that “happiness is progress”.
And then our local priest, preacher or police tell us happiness is to stop doing the wrong thing all the time. Who is right?
They all are, and for this we can be grateful too.
To have an “attitude of gratitude” is a practised and proven formula for happiness. The downside is that not many practise it.
Many of us stop practising it at the very times when it’s needed the most.
A good example is death - the worst time of our life.
Maybe we associate prayer with asking for things, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. But every so often, a prayer of thanksgiving may put you in a better state than you think it will. I’ll prove it.. “Good old Collingwood forever!”
At first you need to grieve and you should take that opportunity.
But then you need to focus on how grateful you are for the many good things still in your life that are there because of the life of the one you have lost.
Your gratitude or despair could even be the difference between your new life lived at a higher level, or your new life falling completely apart.
But let us leave death aside for now.
The reason why the sailors never reached their northern destination was because they ignored all the times on their voyage they were drifting south.
Many are unhappy in life because they do not pay attention to their mind and soul during all the times they are unhappy. You may say “Of course I’m unhappy! This, this and this happened to me!”
The lives of many people are tragic because of the things that have happened to them that are absolutely horrible.
And I acknowledge the horrendous way that many of the unhappy in this world were treated by others during their time of grieving.
It’s appalling and inexcusable and I don’t blame anyone under these circumstances if they are still depressed after these many years.
Even so, I would submit to you that the main cause of unhappiness in life is not your situation but how you contemplate your situation.
No matter how tough life is, there is always something or someone to be grateful for. Always. You can feel happy while you are feeling grateful, but you can’t feel angry while you’re feeling grateful.
You can’t feel fearful while you’re feeling grateful. You can’t feel regretful, like a failure or “ripped off” while you are feeling grateful for all the things that you do have.
People will often stop me, even in the street and say, “Why should I go to church on Sundays?”
I could say all sorts of things that may or may not make sense to them or me, but my usual answer is “to give thanks”.
Up until the 16th Century most Christians for most of history referred to their Sunday church service as “eucharist” a Greek word that means “thanksgiving”.
Maybe we associate prayer with asking for things, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. But every so often, a prayer of thanksgiving may put you in a better state than you think it will. I’ll prove it.. “Good old Collingwood forever!”
