Saturday, September 18, 2010

Attitude of Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie



Have you ever taken a personal inventory of your life and asked yourself, “How did I get here?” or even – “How do I get out of it?” Don’t worry. You are not alone. In fact, I have never met a person that has been completely content with his/her entire life. And I would like to believe that is the way God intended it. If we get too comfortable or complacent, then we leave no room for growth. And if there is no growth, then change is nonexistent. We become stagnate… and eventually die. Therefore, change is a way of life; it’s inevitable.

With every change comes some uncertainty or uneasiness about what the future holds, and it also brings a sense of restlessness into our current state of being. This reminds me of a quote by Andy Andrews in his book The Noticer, “Every life is either in crisis, coming out of crisis or headed for crisis.” I find an odd comfort in that statement, knowing that change is inevitable… and it might not always be pretty, but we will get through it, and what we learn from each experience will equip us for what is yet to come.

I’ve had my share of changes – some were disappointments and some were incredible awe-inspiring experiences - but with every change, came uncertainty… or even fear.  And I've learned over time that the best way for me to overcome these anxious feelings is through prayer and thanksgiving.  An attitude of gratitude might not fix my current situation, but it will give me the strength I need to see me through it.   

I found a great blogpost today on A Better You Blog by Patricia, entitled: 
How to Develop an Attitude of Gratitude.  Patricia highlights three key points:
  1. Get perspective. You can choose to focus on what you do not have, or make a conscious effort to notice what you do have. If you cannot see it, get a new view.
  2. Count your blessings. Name them, list them, draw them, but count them.
  3. Give thanks - show your attitude in word or deed.
Read more on Patricia’s blogpost HERE.

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