A Check List of Blessings

Are you depressed? Well, then here is a checklist of blessings to lift your spirit. You are sure to find one or more of your blessings in this list, maybe even think of more. After reading this list you may find that you have more blessings than you previously thought.

You Are Literate. You can read and understand this and any other article. You can read product labels, guides, manuals, menus, greeting cards, etc. You can also read stories to children.

You Can Manage Money And Bills. You can set a budget and eliminate or reduce "discretionary spending." So, you have a sizeable emergency fund to cover job loss, medical expenses and other misfortunes.

You Have Working Faculties. You can use all five senses. You are not psychotic. You can control your mind, emotions and actions without medication. You don't hallucinate and are aware of yourself and your surroundings. You live without need of constant supervision.

You Are Not Disabled. You have all of your limbs and they all work. You are not mentally impaired. You can walk, shop, shower, dress, eat, drink, perform excretory functions and manage your finances and other affairs without assistance. You can see sunsets, auroras, attractive people, paintings and other aesthetic delights. You can watch and hear performances and competitions.

You Are Not Incarcerated. You don't live in a dangerous, regimented environment such as a prison. No correctional officer or prison guard sets your daily regimen. You can eat (with varied menu options) and sleep when you choose. You don't live among rapists, murderers and gangsters and face the daily prospect of being attacked or killed by inmates or guards.

You Are Not Poor or Broke. You have money to buy what you want or need and pay any bills. You can afford to live in desireable areas. You can visit friends or relatives residing in poor areas then easily leave permanently by plane, train or automobile.

You Live In a Safe or Relatively Safe Community. Gang warfare, assaults, domestic violence, property crimes, gunfire throughout the night and day and the prospect of your children joining gangs are problems in other areas.

You Have Never Been Arrested or Convicted. Your job and housing prospects are not limited by past arrests and convictions.

You Have Good Credit. You can get the best terms on a mortgage, credit card or other loan and get the home or automobile you want.

You Earn A Decent Wage. You earn enough from one job that you don't have to work two or three jobs and use credit cards to pay expenses.

You Have Your Dream Job. You have a job you look forward to going to. It is your labor of love, what you would do for free.

You Live In A Free, Prosperous Nation. You can criticize the government or government officials in speech or writing without risk of imprisonment, beatings, torture or execution. You live in a nation without civil war, guerrillas, death squads and widespread pestilence, parasites, droughts and famine.

You Are Healthy. You have no serious infections. You have no terminal illness. You have not had a heart attack or stroke.

You Did Not Fall or Have An Accident Going To Where You Now Sit , Stand or Lie. You got where you are unscathed.

You Have A Stable Family. Your household is free of violence, daily quarreling and other forms of dysfunction.

You Are Drug-Free. Your mind, body and spirit are free of the effects of drugs or excessive drinking.

Your Children Are Productive and Well-Adjusted. They have good friends, get good grades, participate in extracurricular activities and they have the confidence to avoid and resist negative influences.

You Have A Good Romantic Partner or Spouse. You have a supportive, loving, caring and thoughtful romantic partner or spouse.

You Are Never Truly Alone. An omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent cosmic power is always with you to guide and assist you regardless of your race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, spiritual belief or disbelief, physical attributes, age, education, intelligence, etc. It never leaves you or anyone else. This blessing is the most important for all problems mentioned here and all other problems spring from our fighting or ignoring The Power.