“What nice looking sheep” (Thoughts on getting a good night’s sleep)

We all have something to be thankful for. You, right now, have things to be thankful for. You might wonder how I know that. “He doesn’t know who’s reading this; how could he possibly know what I have to be thankful for?” The fact is, I don’t have to know who you are to know that you have things to be thankful for.

I know that you can read. I know that you have Internet access. I know that you have time for leisure activities–if reading this is something you do leisurely. I also know that there are people who would love to know how to read, but can’t; that there are people who would love to have Internet access, but don’t; and that there are people who would love to have the time to relax a bit, but don’t feel as if they do.

Taking things like this for granted, we forget this fact: For every comfort we have, there are multitudes of people in the world who don’t have that comfort. You might say something like, “Yes, but most of them live in remote regions of Africa or Southeast Asia.”

First off, that’s not true, and secondly, what would it matter if it were? Are those people any less human than us? Just because they might live somewhere different, does it mean that they don’t have the same hopes and desires that we have? Does it mean they are any less deserving of the comforts we have.

We have so much to be thankful for. Even the one person in the entire world who has the very least to be thankful for–while it’s not quantifiable, I have no doubt that person exists–has something to be thankful for. If nothing else, he or she is alive, which is certainly a reason to be thankful.

So, what does this have to do with getting a good night’s sleep? Just this; i propose counting blessings rather than sheep, if you’re having problems getting to sleep. Blessings are comforting and relaxing, and when we’re thinking about all the good that is happening in our lives, we’re not focusing on the fact that we can’t get to sleep.

I know the value of a good night’s sleep. These days, in any two week period, I get more good nights of sleep than I did the first 40 years of my life. You might think I’m just blowing smoke, but that is a literally true statement. And I’ll tell you this: a good night’s sleep is indeed something to be thankful for.

So, if you’re having these problems, you might try this. Who knows, it might just work. If it doesn’t, however, it’s not like you’re going to be out anything; you’d be lying there sleepless either way.

I hope it can be of use. I know how frustrating it is to live a sleep-deprived life, so I know just what a blessing it is to not live in such manner.

I hope you’re well…and rested. We’ll talk soon.