Be grateful. Be thankful. Appreciate what you’ve got. Just flip the switch and change your feelings, thoughts, desires, and dreams. Poof! Just like that.
It’s hard to be grateful. Sure, you can make a list of the many blessings in your life (and there are many), but can you flip the switch and immediately feel different?
Gratitude is work. When you’re disappointed that the script you wrote for your life isn’t matching your reality, you have to stop thinking about what you want and start appreciating what you have.
It’s not so easy to erase the background noise that keeps saying: thank you I am very grateful BUT… I just wanted this one other thing, please. You have to shut out the noise and focus only on the good.
Gratitude is hard because no matter how grateful you are for what you have, beneath the surface are your wants, hopes, and dreams. Those never go away. You can cover them up with layers of gratitude, but what happens when your best friend gets married before you do or your co-worker gets the promotion you were waiting for? Can you be grateful for what you have if you want what someone else has?
Gratitude is a skill; a character trait, a thought process that must become a part of you. It’s a practice you need to develop, nurture, and nourish.
Sincere gratitude is appreciating what you have, not what you thought you would have, or what you want.
The only way to achieve that is to practice it daily. Be grateful for little things. Be grateful that you got a parking space close to the mall entrance. Be grateful that your team won in overtime. Be grateful for everything. Make a gratitude list from A-Z.
Practice, nurture, and nourish your ability to be grateful without having to flip a switch.
Have an attitude of gratitude every day!
Love, peace, and happiness,
June