Cultivating My Attitude of Gratitude!

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 Why should I show gratitude? Is it just the right thing to do, or does it have some other inherent value? Showing honest strength takes energy and thought. Having an attitude of gratitude requires the conscious effort of being thankful.

 When I express thankfulness, it not only impacts the person I am thankful to, but it also has benefits for me the giver of thanks. As I recognize the blessings in my life and act upon them my awareness increases and appreciation. Sharing my gratitude improves my quality of life because it can only result in positive emotions. Appreciating what I have also makes my life more valuable and meaningful.

 I have learned to Be Grateful to those who light the flame that is the heart of me. There are times in my life when my own personal light has dimed or even gone out, only to be rekindled by the spark from another person. We each of us have great cause to celebrate with deep gratitude those who have lighted the flame within us.

 AS I look around this place I call my life I see that I have hit a few rough spot now and again. Some of us seem to survive the avalanches better than others. More often than not other people have been sent to rekindle my faith and keep me from despair. These are the people in my life who deserve gratitude for supporting me when I needed it most.

 Each day I’m given a new chance to make a difference in the world. Until I’m gone there will always be hope of finding happiness, peace and good health. I truly believe that if the only prayer I ever say in the whole of my life is “thank you” and I’m “grateful” my life would have been sufficient.

 By maintaining an attitude of gratitude with each new day, I am developing the habit of appreciating what I have instead of dwelling on what I don’t have. I have more peace and joy because of this positive outlook. I also handle challenges differently because I now begin with a more positive mindset.

 I’ve come to realize that saying “thank you” isn’t so hard to do. Having a spirit of gratitude has also become almost second nature to me, almost!

 Acting on thoughts of gratefulness is a challenge some days. I realized recently that as I show my gratitude for others more openly I’ve stopped taking them for granted. I’ve stopped make assumptions about how my friends should treat me or others or what they should or should not do for me.
 Sometimes I think we get so focused on our “rights” that we forget to be gracious and appreciative of what we really do have. When I show gratitude, I become more keenly aware of and appreciate small everyday experiences. For example, I use to be quick to complain when traffic made it hard to get to work or my doctors appointments on time. However, I now appreciate days when the lights seem to all work in my favor. Frustration comes from unmet expectations, but gratitude results in not having unrealistic expectations and truly finding the joy in whatever comes your way. Showing gratitude has attracted others to me and has improved my overall attitude.
 I believe now more than ever before that as we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

 I am once again this year keeping a “Gratitude” journal where I will simply list those people and things that I am grateful for in my life each day of the coming year. This last year with the return of my cancer I started carrying it in my purse to make notes even when I was not at home. Sometimes when I would think of a person I’d like to give thanks for, I would make a note of it, including a nice way to express my gratitude. If I didn’t write it down, it would soon be forget the thoughtful acts of kindness done for and to me and than it would be as if they had never happen. This last week I took time to review my past year the last of a decade. . . I’ve been blessed. It’s easy to feel gratitude when you see your life in written words.

My Resolution for the year. . . 

Cultivate My Attitude of Gratitude!