Gratitude Diary

Merril is doing study at the moment.  The particular topic she is covering right now is personal development.  One of the tasks she has, is to write a gratitude diary.  I actually think that is a great idea.  I reckon I have heaps to be grateful for.
It is interesting to me that that sort of thing helps me maintain a balance.  I reckon there are a lot of problems.  Heaps of doom and gloom.  To me it is out there.  My role is to, (where I can) alleviate suffering.  I so want to be part of the answer rather than part of the problem.
I have found that whatever I concentrate on grows bigger.  If I concentrate only on problems which for sure exist, I can become unbalanced and “take my work home with me” as it were. Yet I really want to make sure that I am seeing both sides of life, and experiencing as best I can the aspiration I promote.
That to me is where a gratitude diary is important.  It helps me to see there is another side to problems, and that life is more than a continuous difficulty.
So right now I am thinking of the things I have that I am thankful for.  I am thankful for a good wife who has similar aspirations.  I am thankful our differences cause of to grow and make us more complete and better people.  I am thankful for her personality.  I am thankful she loves me despite my flaws.  I am thankful for her talents of which I am in awe.
I am thankful for the block of land we live on.  I am thankful it is big enough to be a challenge but small enough not to overwhelm.  I am thankful for the birds that feel comfortable enough to wander the yard.  I am thankful Merril is not into the willy nilly spraying of pesticides.  I am thankful Merril loves life.  I am thankful for family and friends.  I am thankful for hobbies.  I am thankful for challenges that keep me growing even in older age.  I am thankful for days off where I can just veg if I want to.
I really have a lot to be thankful for.  Bad things happen for sure, and I would prefer they did not occur, but I have done a little experiment and even those contain good if I look.