Being thankful and/or content with the blessings and gifts we have is something of a rare quality in people nowadays. Seems people are more focused on what they do not have or that they desire to obtain more than what they have been blessed with nowadays. Being driven and having desire is a good thing but being hung up on what you do not have, usually leads to envy and feelings of inadequacy or the feeling of being cheated in life.

One should always be grateful for what they have in life, be it gifts of the spirit or material possessions and the ability to provide for themselves and others in their family. Do not get caught up in the vicious cycle of wanting more and desiring that which is seen as better. That cycle leads you round and round between wanting and possessing and wanting again. Want to provide for themselves and those they are responsible for and be happy with what they possess and only long for what they need.

Human nature is to want and possess to get the dopamine rush associated with that cycle. So it is not like one can totally avoid the want for more than they have been blessed with, but the more you appreciate what you have the less importance you put on that which you desire. Many times we feel like we have been cheated in life because others have so much more than we do or what they have is so shiny and new and what we have may not seem to be so shiny or new. Envy sets in and does nothing but cause hurt feelings, and negativity and sometimes leads to verbal or physical violence or even worse.

Do not be the monkey with your hand in the jar holding on to the piece of fruit, having your hand trapped in the jar because of your desire or greed. Let go of that piece of fruit and acknowledge that it is not yours to have. Somewhere down the line, your prize is waiting, not all gifts and objects you see are meant for you. Sometimes even that which was meant for you was only meant to be yours for a temporary amount of time and you may have to let it go so it can become the gift or prize of the next person. Charity is one of those things that makes you see some of what you have been blessed with is there only to be passed along to bless another who may be in need of what you were blessed to have more than you. Compassion and love drive the charitable heart, what you sacrifice to help others always comes back to you in abundance, but not always in the same way or form.

Blessings and Peace to you all