Thankful and Grateful

"Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude.  Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness.  Thankfulness may consist merely of words.  Gratitude is shown in acts. Once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack. A happy person feels grateful for things an unhappy person takes for granted."

This quote is one of those great little nuggets of wisdom that makes us think to ourselves “That is great advice! That’s how I want to live!” Then, life happens.

Life doesn’t wait for anyone. It is constantly moving and moving so fast that sometimes it’s hard to keep up. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, months come and go, and we begin to think “What happened?” We need to do the best we can with what is right in front of us, and cope with the day-to-day responsibilities that frequently seem impossible, by focusing in on everything we can be thankful for.

To be grateful can be hard when things seem not worth giving thanks for, but if we are honest with ourselves and take a moment to reflect upon all the things, big and small, that we’re thankful for and do this on a regular basis, that is an excellent start. If you adjust your perspective and break things down, you’ll find countless moments and circumstances to feel grateful for. You can be in the difficult situation and still be grateful inside yourself. Grateful for the lessons, for the growth and expansion you are in the middle of and for your ability to turn things around. 

Realize that this works both ways. Sometimes we find it difficult to find gratitude if we are focusing on the negative, or the difficulties. But also, if we are focused on gratitude and thankfulness, it's hard for the negative, doubt, fears and worry to get in. We tend to get more of what we focus on. It is important to be selective and intentional about where you place your focus.

Learn to be grateful for simple things all around you: Waking up, birds chirping, sunshine, a roof over our head, coffee, a good book, family, friends, pets, your favorite food, a funny joke, breathing, laughter, binge watching, or whatever. Realize that little things are awesome, and a lot of little things can certainly add up to big things.

Take a step back and remind yourself to be in the moment and to be thankful for each moment. Use this self-quarantine time as an opportunity for us to learn something new, improve ourselves, and to practice gratitude. Take time every day to practice being thankful for everything that is right there in front of us, even when it seems hard, and you’ll likely find that the hard things get easier. 

By being appreciative and aware that we have so much around us that we should be thankful for, we will attract more good things to come our way and you’ll gain momentum that will lead to having a great moments, days, weeks, months, years, and life. Happiness is earned and learned through gratitude. 

Make today great!

Curtis

"It's a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack." - Germany Kent