INSIGHT is one of the keys to mental health. Another is motivation. Insight is crucial for mental health, because
without insight we cannot search for and see truth—given the general biblical
premise that, “the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
Another term for insight is awareness.
Motivation is of course needed
to convert awareness to action.
In the context of awareness, gratitude is the key to a plethora
of mental health resources, not least perspective and resilience. But few of us are inherently grateful; it
doesn’t usually come naturally.
No matter how grateful we tend to be, there are always times in
our lives when we struggle for gratitude.
Awareness of our lack of gratitude is the key. It may be that we struggle for it long enough
that others are giving us feedback of our lack (“Why are you complaining all
the time?”), or perhaps better so, we see within ourselves the slide into
trouble that we’re on (“Why are I complaining all the time?”).
Without gratitude we slide
into many varietals of malady.
But with gratitude, many blessings
of insight become possible, even realised.
Life without gratitude is a life made for complaint, and not all
complaints are justified. Indeed, most
complaints are not, though there is even a biblical case for complaint in many
circumstances in life—for example, loss and grief. The key biblical imperative, however, is we
are not to STAY in complaint, even if it can last a long while or we meander
back and forth through it. We are meant
to traverse through it, eventually.
Awareness for gratitude (or lack thereof) is pivotal in the
mental health maintenance journey.
Reading this, you could say:
“Well, how am I going?”
“Am I appropriately grateful right now?”
“How’s my awareness right now?”
These are crucial questions to ponder, for we alone are masters
and mistresses of our own destiny. It’s
okay if we’re not grateful and realise our gap, and even our desire to transform
our thinking is a movement toward it.
I would argue that we can’t tussle for gratitude if we aren’t
aware of our lack of it. But when we are
grateful, we might be aware how easy we can slide out of it.
Awareness for gratitude is what promotes the maintenance of our
mental health. It’s the demonstration of
a growth mindset. It’s what separates
those who live productive lives from those who don’t or can’t. Awareness for gratitude is, I think, a gift
of emotional intelligence. Those with it
are a gift to those around them.
