When You Have Nothing

Reflections

A short poem about gratitude, When You Have Nothing opens with a question: When you have nothing, / What have you got? It speaks to moments when we feel stripped of control, possessions, confidence, or certainty. The answer is simple yet profound: A miraculous mind — / And that’s a lot. Even when external circumstances leave us feeling empty, our inner world remains a source of strength.

In the second stanza, the poem shifts its focus. It invites the reader into the first moments of a new day: The moment you awaken, / Bless the new day. Gratitude is presented as a discipline. Thanking the Creator and taking a moment to pray introduces spirituality—not as dogma, but as a helpful way to begin your routine. We start with awareness instead of anxiety.

The third stanza deepens the message. Gratitude becomes the foundation; happiness becomes the aim. Yet the most important instruction may be this: Find the wisdom to be gentle / With your own soul. The poem recognizes that our harshest critic is often ourselves. Wisdom begins with self-compassion.

The final stanza completes the thought. Nourish your mind. Choose kind, clear thoughts. Pause. Look at what you already possess. Even when we feel we have nothing, we still have consciousness, breath, the ability to think, to pray, and to choose our attitude.

Gratitude, the poem suggests, is a deliberate choice—one that restores balance and perspective, even when life feels uncertain.

Affirmation

Even if I have nothing, I still possess a miraculous mind and the power to choose gratitude. I begin each day with kindness toward my own soul.