A four year old boy is at the State Fair with his mother when he notices the kids next to him have cotton candy. Immediately, the little boy wants cotton candy and begs his mother for some cotton candy of his own. Whenever the little boy is told no, because he just had a candy apple, he throws a temper tantrum. Across the fairgrounds, a little girl sees the boy with the candy apple and is no longer happy with her cotton candy.
We all have those moments where we just turn green with envy. We want more. We want more money, more power; we want it all. We succumb to one of the seven deadly sins: Greed. It acts as the strings on a wooden puppet; having control over us as though we have no thoughts of our own. But what if we wrestled with our temptations and tried to live a life of gratitude? How would that look different than the life we live now?
Would we be judging others for what they have or don't have? Would we have the insecurities that we attach to the clothes we wear and the things we have? There would be no need to judge others, for we would understand that possessions are not what define a person. We would be less likely to have insecurities surrounding us because society would have a different view point on possessions, and if they didn’t, you would be better able to tune them out. We would be living in thankfulness for all we have been given. If possessions were viewed as a blessing rather than things we are entitled to, we would not see them in the same light. They would be cherished and taken care of. Also, people who are filled with gratitude are more likely to give to others in need. We will be able to build better relationships with people if we see them for their true value and not what they appear to be worth. If we had gratitude we would understand that the value is in the person and their heart, not in the things they own.
It is important that being in a country like the United States, for us to humble ourselves. There are many countries that live without the freedoms that we have. Their people live in constant fear. Girls are kept from going to school. People can't speak their mind without facing severe consequences.
We can reflect on these things, and realize the ways are which we are blessed and try to live with gratitude. Odds are we will be happier when we do. So let's give thanks for what we have and stray from greed when it comes to the things we don't have. Imagine the change that could happen in the world if we just change our mindset. Everything that was once backwards is now right.
I think we can all agree that the story from earlier shows true childish nature, but yet we still act like this a lot of the time. I challenge everyone to change their mindset as they go throughout this week and ask themselves “Do I want to live a life of greed or of gratitude?”
