When we view bills as evidence of the abundance of brachos in our lives, it takes the edge off

Turning Bills into Brachos

Tsippi Gross and Rivky Rothenberg

Nobody likes getting bills. Whether it’s in the form of a stack of envelopes in the mail, an invoice from the lawn guy, or the grocery total, we usually have the same feeling: stress, frustration, annoyance. It feels like another demand, another person asking for your money.

Our brains are wired to go negative first. It’s a survival instinct. So it’s no surprise that when expenses pile up and bills come in, we feel sad, depressed, overwhelmed, anxious, or angry. But just because that’s our factory setting, doesn’t mean we have to stay that way and live in misery, negativity, and annoyance. When we become aware of this tendency, we realize that we can actually choose thoughts that bring us joy, excitement, and happiness — thoughts that bless us both physically and emotionally.

When we focus on gratitude, it changes how we experience stress. And when we view bills as evidence of the abundance of brachos in our lives, it takes the edge off of them. Paying the electric bill becomes a reminder of the warmth and light our light fixtures and electrical appliances provide. The grocery bill becomes a reminder of the abundance of food available. The lawn care bill becomes a reminder that someone else is handling a job we don’t have to do ourselves.

When the electricity bill arrives, it’s easy to feel the pinch and think, great, another thing to pay for. But what if we paused and instead thought, Thank You, Hashem, for electricity, for light, for heat, for the convenience of modern life. Imagine how hard life was for our ancestors without it.