Season of Thanksgiving. Gratitude is a Verb.
Often people think the only time to be grateful is on Thanksgiving. That is not true. The Season of Thanksgiving is everyday. How do you get started on this journey of acknowledging and appreciating the gifts you’ve been given? That you have food to eat, that you are in control of your faculties (most of the time), for the people who have been there for you, and so much more. The first step is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude in which you CHOOSE to see the gifts. The second step is to say “thank you” every chance you get. Being grateful doesn’t mean you must always be happy and walk around with a smile on your face. It means that you make an effort to acknowledge what you have been given. Gratitude lifts the spirit, opens the heart, and nourishes the soul.
Season of Thanksgiving is Everyday. What’s on YOUR Gratitude List?
Every week I write a gratitude list. There are days when it’s so easy to come up with the things I’m grateful for that my pen glides across the paper or my fingers dance over the keyboard. Then there are those days when I can’t think of anything to be thankful for. It’s not that there isn’t anything for me to be thankful for; I just can’t – or more honestly, choose not to – see anything. Perhaps it’s because I am angry or hurt or disappointed at the moment, so all I can see is the glass half empty.
But then I put the pen to the paper, and just do it! Amazingly, once I begin to write, more things are revealed.
What are you grateful for?
Today I invite you to think of something that happened within the last twenty-four hours that you’re grateful for. If you can’t think of anything, extend your net a little wider to include the last week, month or year. Consider also looking beyond the obvious. Perhaps the answer might be something you’d never think about, like being able to see, being able to walk, having a job, or not having a job so you have time to do what you want.
Until next time, I’m Attorney Francine Ward helping you protect what’s yours. Join my conversation on Facebook, Twitter, or in one of my LinkedIn groups, Google+ Circles.
Francine D. Ward
Attorney-at-Law, Author, Speaker
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