Monday, February 1, 2021

Pulling Out The Gratitude Card + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

Have you ever heard the old story about the waiter who asked a customer whether he had enjoyed the meal he had been served? The guest replied that everything was fine, but it would have been better if they had served more bread. The next day, when the man returned, the waiter doubled the amount of bread, giving him four slices instead of two, but still the man wasn't happy. Ever persevering, the waiter doubled the bread again the next day, without success.

On the fourth day, the waiter was extra determined to make the man happy. And so he took a nine-foot-long loaf of bread, cut it in half, and with a smile, served it to the customer. The waiter could hardly wait for the man's reaction.

After the meal, the man looked up and said "Good as always. But I see you're back to giving only two slices of bread." (As told by Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

And I'll bet you know someone like that. We all do---Someone who never acknowledges the good things that are happening around them, but are always noticing and mentioning what is wrong. It drives people up the wall. It's a toxic personality flaw. The person who can't be grateful.

And fortunately for everyone, there are those people who, no matter what they are going through, are always able to look around and see the good. Because in all actuality, we Americans have had it pretty good for a long, long time. 

The vast majority of Americans have been able to have food on the table, a place to stay, family, friends and endless entertainment options, whether that be vacations, movies, gaming, hobbies, social media, etc. Of late, I've felt to be more appreciative of the many things in my own life that give me comfort, ease, and fulfillment. I often wonder what it would be like if I had to live in a 3rd world situation. Would I be able to pull out my gratitude card then? 

 Take Cuba for instance. It's not what you think it is. 60 years ago, Communists seized power in Cuba and all private business and industry were nationalized and the Cuban people have lived under Socialism ever since. The tourist photos and travel brochures look pretty nice. It looks quaint and colorful. But it's quite different than that.  This video of what Cuba is really like shocked me. This was made in early 2020, so approximately one year ago. Check it out. And then the next time you're tempted to be upset because you can't find your favorite brand of turkey ham or the bananas are all green at the store, remember things could be so much worse!




Today is "My Post Monday!", a curation of my picks of the week's best original content. It's all about posts from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize(Affiliate links welcome)

5 comments:

Clarke Family said...

Thank you for the reminder to be grateful:)

A GAL NEEDS... said...

@Clarke Family - You are welcome! Most of my posts are mostly directed towards myself! But if it helps someone else, I'm happy!

jjmon2012 said...

I have read this Bread post before and I have to admit I like the customer. He made me smile with the last remark.

We forget some times to be grateful for what we have. And let just say that the almost 1 year has tested us.

Stephanie H. said...

It is good to remember to be grateful! I try to do this every day. helps me manage stress lol :)

A GAL NEEDS... said...

@jjmon2012 LOL, That customer is the ultimate Karen-type! (BTW, I hate the name designation to be Karen, since I have some really sweet friends by that name.)

@Stephanie H. It's great to try to be grateful, even when it's hard.