Gratitude

This is a great idea by my friend @conradt and I was delighted to be nominated by another great friend @mariannewest.

This is day 4 of what I am grateful for.

You can see @conradt's initial post here to get a background of what this is all about. The general idea is to spread positivity here on Steemit for 7 days, by posting each day about something you are grateful for, and in doing so promote a positive mental health outlook and to show we all have things to be grateful for, even in the face of adversity and struggles, there is always a chink of light, if we look close enough.

What am I grateful for today?

I am thankful to have a roof over my head, when so many around the world, and indeed around my little country do not. Sometimes, us humans, find the little things to complain about. We get upset and wax lyrical about these little things, but almost everyone who reads this, has a roof over their head, and has this and many other things to be thankful for.

Homelessness

My heart goes out to the millions of homeless people around the world. It is a worldwide problem and in the US alone, there were 554,000 homeless people last year. In Ireland, the number is approaching 10,000. Surely, in this day and age, this should not happen. Could we not set up initiatives whereby, we feed and cloth these people and in turn they do some work, if they want to of course. I think handouts are not the answer, as people become reliant on these and they may lack a sense of purpose as a result. But, if we could integrate people and give them some work to do in exchange for a roof over their head and food, it might just work. After some time, they will have built up some skills, which they can then use to get themselves a job, and try to stand on their own two feet again. The structure could have CV experts on hand to help these people to apply for jobs. We need to fix society, not throw money at problems.

Throwing money at problems

Too often in my country, the powers that be try to fix things by throwing money at it - our healthcare system is a perfect example. Year after year and health minister after health minister, they throw good money at the issue, instead of sitting down and working logically though the issues. Often, money is not the issue, nor the answer. The answer is managing things correctly, and not being afraid to change things.

What's their name?

So, there you have it, I am grateful for a roof over my head. When I see a homeless person in Ireland, I have to admit, I am judgmental, in so far as, I wonder will they spend any money I give them on alcohol or worse.. Instead, I buy them a sandwich and a cup of tea, and I stop and chat to them for 5 minutes... It is amazing how much they appreciate this. They must feel invisible as people fob them off and avoid eye contact. We must remember that they are human too, we are all equal. When I hear some of their life stories, or part of them at least, I can't help but feel, this could happen to any of us, particularly if we don't have a strong and supportive family and support structure. One bad break, followed by another, and then two more, and bang, you're homeless. There are even homeless people who have strong support structures, but are too proud to ask for help. So, the next time you see a homeless person, try not to judge, maybe buy them a cup of tea instead and ask them what their name is.

I am lucky enough to own my house as well, which is another thing to be thankful for. Well, I kind of own it anyway, I just pay my rent to the bank instead of a landlord :o) But after another 20 or so years,
I will own it.

Nominations

@zen-art - A very open person who has lots to teach us all.
@jayna - A great teacher who is positevly positive!
@madis-siimkull - one of the first people I followed on Steemit.

The rules:

• Write a post about something you have to be positive about today - this could be anything from being thankful for your current situation, someone being nice to you, being thankful for your friends and family, or even being thankful for the opportunity you have been given here on Steemit - just keep it positive :)
• Do this for 7 days in a row if you get nominated
• Mention three people who should do this on each day.
• Tag it with #7daypositivitychallenge and include these rules at the bottom of your post
  Include a picture of something positive (related to your story if possible.)
  

Hopefully you enjoyed that post.

Stop by my page for other photos, writings and musings...

Peace Out 🔥