An Attitude of Gratitude

I have seen a lot of “I am thankful for …” posts on Facebook this month.  The idea was to begin on November 1st and write every day, all month long, on the things that you are thankful for.  I thought this was a wonderful idea and have joined in!   Much to my surprise, I have just recently seen negative comments in regards to people posting what they are thankful for.   I guess the poster had a problem with otherwise negative people posting these things just for the month.  In my opinion, though, isn’t it better to have an attitude of gratitude?  I would like to think so!

I posted in response to this person who was finding fault on the 30 days of thankfulness that maybe the person was making a conscious effort to become more positive, and this was their starting point!  I don’t see a thing in the world wrong with this, and hopefully, their attitude of gratitude will carry over past the Thanksgiving holidays into Christmas, the New Year and beyond!  Wouldn’t that be wonderful?!

Everyone has to start some where, so why NOT start at the beginning of November?  What better time?   As we prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving in the next few weeks, take a moment to think of all that you’re thankful for.  Whether you write them all out on your Facebook status daily or write in your blog, or if you choose not to do any of those things but quietly meditate on these thoughts.  I just don’t see that as a bad thing of putting on an attitude of gratitude.   Maybe if more people did this, it would be contagious and more people would catch on resulting in happier people!

Instead of grumbling, which results in bad feelings as we dwell on negative things that are often times beyond our control, shift the focus to something that you are thankful for!  I bet you will have a more positive outlook after these 30 days if you will just shift your thinking and try to find one thing each and every day that you’re truly thankful for.  Whether it’s just that you woke up that morning and were able to see the sunlight pouring in your window, you did wake up … and you were able to see whereas there are some people that would give anything in the world to be able to soak up that sight of the sunlight pouring into their room first thing in the morning.   We take so many things for granted that others would love to have, even a small glimpse of the sunlight that you would otherwise grumble about spilling into the room, waking you from a deep sleep … or even something as simple as the alarm clock buzzing as it insists that you get up to greet the day.  Instead of viewing it as a nuisance that you “have” to get up, consider it a blessing and a privilege that God has given you the gift of another day!    Appreciate that you were able to hear the buzzing of the alarm clock this morning as there are some that cannot hear.

My point in all of this is to choose to turn your otherwise negative thoughts into positives, and I will bet that your day will start off better!    You have a choice.  You can be negative, unappreciative, complaining and grumbling.  OR you can choose to put on an attitude of gratitude and appreciate even the little things in your day.   I choose to be thankful and to write those out each day for the month of November on my Facebook status.  While I may not continue writing them as my status updates beyond November 30th, I will continue to choose the attitude of gratitude.

Join me?

Blessings to you and yours!

~S