Taken directly from Wikipedia, The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of living, which is based primarily on income. Instead, standard indicators of the quality of life include not only wealth and employment, but also the built environment, physical and mental health, education, recreation and leisure time, and social belonging.
We all can agree that these indicators are accurate measures by which we can assess the overall quality of our lives, but there is one big omission.
Your individual scale of gratitude can alter your outlook on any economic, social, political, environmental or personal indicator of the quality of your life. What truly matters most to you; that which you are sincerely grateful for--if identified and acknowledged--will bring to light a level of perspective that allows you to exist not on a vertical scale of positives and negatives, but rather a horizontal plain of quality. You need only explore that plain to discover new things and experiences to be grateful for, but what remains most important is that the negative aspect does not exist unless we allow it to exist.
The quality of our lives is heavily hinged upon what we are grateful for, pure and simple. Once we are able to identify what matters most to quantifying happiness, the indicators based on studies of economics and science become nothing more than lingering clouds.
Grateful Brand was created to serve as a reminder of the importance of being grateful, expressing this gratitude through positive messaging and acts of kindness.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Digging Deep
Sometimes, focusing on what we have to be grateful for is like drilling for oil on land that has already been tapped. The positives of life become miniscule in comparison to your woes and troubles. But like an oil company, you must keep drilling. You will find something be grateful for. It may take more time than you think you have left, more resources that you currently have and more resilience than you knew you had, but staying focused on being grateful will definitely pay off and lead you through the worst that life can muster.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
To Expect Gratitude
Gratitude is a duty which ought to be paid, but which none have a right to expect.
-Jean Jacques-Rousseau
To expect gratitude is to invite disappointment into your life. We hope that gratitude will be expressed when we bestow kindness and generosity, but this is often not the case. Sometimes we must accept the fact that the gift we get in return for our kindness and generosity is the realization that we have the ability to do such good for others.
Gratitude is expressed in many different ways and sometimes it simply cannot be seen. We cannot place expectations on the delivery of such a virtue, but this by no means dampens its importance.
-Jean Jacques-Rousseau
To expect gratitude is to invite disappointment into your life. We hope that gratitude will be expressed when we bestow kindness and generosity, but this is often not the case. Sometimes we must accept the fact that the gift we get in return for our kindness and generosity is the realization that we have the ability to do such good for others.
Gratitude is expressed in many different ways and sometimes it simply cannot be seen. We cannot place expectations on the delivery of such a virtue, but this by no means dampens its importance.
Monday, June 4, 2012
If You Must Draw Comparisons
Of all the great human virtues, gratitude serves us the most. However, for far too many, gratitude is not regularly practiced, but sporadically triggered by experiences, images, or stories that bring to light how fortunate we are in comparison to others.
You often find these instances of grateful enlightenment had by travelers to third world countries, where fresh water is barely accessible, food is scarce and human safety pales in comparison to more developed, economically sound countries.
While it is wonderful that people are able to have these experiences, it should not take seeing people who are less fortunate than you for you to realize and appreciate how fortunate you really are. With the advancement of media technology and social networking, the excuse of not knowing what lies beyond your comfort zones or your boundaries becomes weaker and weaker.
The world is all but exposed across both hemispheres and from pole to pole. We have the ability to know with the click of a mouse how the majority of human beings are fairing across the globe. So, if you must draw comparisons to someone else to be reminded of how grateful you should be, take a moment to assess your awareness for who you are, what you have and your place in this world. You may find reasons to be grateful that do not require drawing comparisons at all.
You often find these instances of grateful enlightenment had by travelers to third world countries, where fresh water is barely accessible, food is scarce and human safety pales in comparison to more developed, economically sound countries.
While it is wonderful that people are able to have these experiences, it should not take seeing people who are less fortunate than you for you to realize and appreciate how fortunate you really are. With the advancement of media technology and social networking, the excuse of not knowing what lies beyond your comfort zones or your boundaries becomes weaker and weaker.
The world is all but exposed across both hemispheres and from pole to pole. We have the ability to know with the click of a mouse how the majority of human beings are fairing across the globe. So, if you must draw comparisons to someone else to be reminded of how grateful you should be, take a moment to assess your awareness for who you are, what you have and your place in this world. You may find reasons to be grateful that do not require drawing comparisons at all.
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