Attitude of Gratitude

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Attitude of Gratitude

by Angela Crielaard

Iwill be the first to admit that I don’t always find myself seeing the glass half-full. Most of us are not naturally grateful in our lives. It is so much easier to grumble and complain or think of aspects of our lives that are not going as we desire. Human nature causes us to focus more on what is going wrong in our lives instead of being thankful for the things that are going well. We find ourselves thinking more about the things we don’t have instead of feeling blessed for the things we do have. Going through life with a “woe is me” attitude only makes things worse.

Our lives would be forever changed for the better if we could all take the negative energy and transform it into positive. I am not saying that it is an easy task by any means, but it is well worth a try. I do believe that if we exercise our “gratitude muscle” on a daily basis, it will in time become stronger.

We all have a choice in how we face life’s challenges. We can choose to be content or we can choose to be dissatisfied. On days you find yourself feeling disheartened, ask yourself— “What do I have to be grateful for today?” The answer can be something as simple as the fact that you woke up that morning and are able to live another day. Instead of complaining about that long drive to work in the morning, say to yourself— “I am thankful to have a car that takes me to my job that I am fortunate enough to have.”

It is not selfish to acknowledge your pain or worry at hard times in your life such as sickness, financial hardships, or even a death of a loved one. Even in those times, you can find some appreciation for that day as well. It is possible in times of despair and suffering that we can work to improve our gratefulness. Use these times to remind yourself that we should never take anything for granted. For example, if you find yourself focusing on your health problems, just take a moment to look around at others.

I am sure that you will find someone who is dealing with far more than you are and for this, you should feel grateful. Life is very precious, whether things are going smoothly or you have hit a rough patch, as we all do at times. Try thinking of the things you can do or the life you can live, not the things you can’t do or the life you can’t live.

About The Author Angela Crielaard is blessed to be a wife and mother to three beautiful dogs and an aunt to many nieces and nephews. Angela enjoys spending time in her flower and vegetable gardens.