DEVELOP AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE TODAY
How do you develop an attitude of gratitude? As we are once again approaching November I’m starting to reflect more on gratitude in my own life. Gratitude is a significant part of living a frugal lifestyle and also of living joyfully. You all know both of those things are important to me and so is developing an attitude of gratitude.
What is gratitude?
Webster’s dictionary defines gratitude as “the state of being grateful” or “thankfulness”
To me gratitude is:
Choosing not to focusing on the things you don’t have
Blessing others when you might still have needs but not dwelling on your own needs
Sharing with those less fortunate and recognizing that what you have is enough
Taking time to count your blessings
Being able to see what you really need is what you already have
Shift your focus to develop an attitude of gratitude?
Look at you life and all you have from a perspective of someone who has nothing. Recognize the blessings of the simple things: your family, friends, job, a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear. You may not even have all of these blessings in your life right now but don’t take for granted the ones you do have.
Simple ways to become more grateful?
Volunteer to help those in need. You will quickly realize that what you take for granted now is really significant.
Make a list of the things you do have and of the things you do not have. Recognize that the things you have now are enough and make a conscious effort to be grateful for each of those things. Choose to focus on each of these blessings.
Take a moment to recognize your family and friends as one of your biggest blessings in life. Make an extra effort to let them know that they are greatly appreciated and that they make a difference in your life. We all need to feel appreciated and this is just one more way to help you focus on gratitude while encouraging those you love.
Make a gratitude jar or write items each day on your calendar - write things you are grateful for on each slip of paper and pull one slip out daily. Or write an item on the calendar each day for a month so you have one blessing reminder everyday. Having a reminder just helps to shift your focus to gratitude.
My favorite quotes on gratitude to inspire you
“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”
Zig Ziglar
“Reflect upon your present blessings—of which every man has many—not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
Charles Dickens
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
William Arthur Ward
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”
Willie Nelson
“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.”
Cicero
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Albert Einstein
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”
Epictetus
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.”
Henri Frederic Amiel
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”
Aesop
How developing an attitude of gratitude will change your life
Let's be honest for most of us gratitude does not come naturally. Complaining, worrying and dwelling on what we do not have is much more natural. These character flaws however will never get us where we want to go in life. I have learned this the hard way in so many instances throughout my life.
We could easily chose to give up
For many of us what comes naturally is stemming from frequent challenges, pain and disappointment in our lives. We watched as others were chosen for things we wanted so badly, we struggled just to have what everyone else seemed to easily obtain. Developing an attitude of gratitude just simply doesn't make sense in our lives. Or does it? Gratitude is not developed only when things are good, when we have everything we need and want or when our life is pain free. Gratitude is a choice made in the midst of a crisis or a life of ease. Gratitude developed in either will lead us along a path worth traveling.
Gratitude: The path worth traveling
Imagine this, you lost your job and you have no idea where your opportunity will come from. For many right now job loss is a reality and a very painful one. It's not easy and it is a situation in life that leaves us living with anxiety and fear. It does not have to though and an attitude of gratitude can pull us through much easier. We can reflect on the pain of the situation or we can pull ourselves up and say. I am strong, capable and blessed to have had so many experiences that will lead me somewhere far better. Gratitude gives us a different perspective on a very painful situation that can lead us forward step by step into a better life.
That better life may not come tomorrow but it just might. Who would you want to hire for that job? Someone confident and grateful for the opportunities they have had? Or someone who sees themselves as a victim of the situation and is still burdened by the past? You never know when that attitude of gratitude can lead you straight to the best career you have ever had.
When gratitude made a huge difference in my life
The year was 2011 and my life was altered forever. My family was faced with one of the hardest situations we would ever have to face. It broke me beyond anything I had ever experienced. Through this life-altering experience, my brother went to prison and my younger siblings came to live with me. I cannot give the full story it is far too painful to share and is not necessary to drive my point.
So what was my purpose in sharing this with you today? What I wanted you to understand is that out of the most painful experience I still chose gratitude and I still found joy. I had lost so much and I knew that the pain would never go away, but I recognized my blessings in the midst of the pain. This changed my life forever and was far from easy.
On so many days I wanted to give up and I wanted things back the way that they were. I realized though that will never be possible and that I had the choice to dwell on the situation and the pain or to find God's hands and his blessings in the pain. So I did my best to recognize the friends that were like family, the family that was still by my side and the hand of God reaching down in many ways to comfort and guide me. I chose an attitude of gratitude and you can too. It is never easy but it can change your life and I believe it will.
Want more inspiration in choosing an attitude of gratitude?
This is a devotional on choosing an attitude of gratitude from one of my favorite authors Max Lucado. His writing has always helped to inspire me in my journey towards a more grateful and joyful life.
