Olaolu Beckley

Sometimes, I feel anxious about the future and what it holds for me and I’m sure this is the same for some others given the current economic realities in the world.

We worry about our income and whether or not it meets our needs in light of prices of goods and services which have skyrocketed; some worry about their health, others fret over their marriage and for some, it is their children. There just seem to be issues surrounding our lives at every given point and how we react to them becomes the state of our minds. And in most cases, that state of mind tends towards apprehension and even worse, fear.

But the thing about fear, worry, anxiety and its cousin, is that it doesn’t help with the situation. If anything, it exacerbates it.

This brings me to the reason for this write-up; I came across a quote which states: “Gratitude and anxiety cannot coexist in the brain at the same time.” I found this to be rather profound and this is backed up by a neuroscience study which has proven that the brain cannot be in a state of gratitude and anxiety at the same time.

Humans have the power to choose, either gratitude or anxiety. It is that simple. Some may argue that with all that is going on, there is nothing to show in their lives that warrants gratitude. But what you are about to read next might sound like a cliché, but there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for as long as there is breath in your lungs.

In your little corner of the world, if you have a roof over your head, one square meal a day, the ability to move all your limbs, sanity of mind, major organs of your body function, and all sensory organs are intact, you undoubtedly have reasons to be grateful.

This is in no way ignoring life’s numerous challenges, but it is about perspective you see. For those of us who are believers in Jesus Christ, we are encouraged in the Bible in Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.”

It’s instructive that the scripture urges us to be thankful for all that God has done. By doing this, we recall all the triumphs from the past, answered prayers, being saved from shameful experiences, our needs being met right on time, God’s protection and deliverances, and truly we see that God who was there before is more than able and willing to come through for us again and again!

I am under no illusion that this is an easy feat, it takes being intentional about gratitude in the face of trials and tribulations.

A proverb in my mother tongue says: “Eni to ba dupe ore ana, a ri emii gba.” This means that when you express gratitude for yesterday’s favour, you are positioned to receive more favour today.