Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Feed your hunger with gratitude

There is so much wisdom in this quote. Gratitude can change your life in an even more powerful way than weight loss or giving up a bad habit.   It can also CHANGE SOMEONE ELSE’s Life too!  It’s amazing how much more willing we are to be kind; to be giving; to go the extra mile; to help others….when we feel valued and appreciated. Others will treat us better when they know that we are grateful for their efforts…..even when they are not perfect and their efforts don’t quite meet our expectations.

 Although I try each day to live a life of gratitude and to recognize everything that happens as a gift, I often fall short, especially when I’m weary, experience stress, get overwhelmed. Today…..I am going to be extra focused on trying to be sure to express my gratitude….First, to God, for the blessing of this new day; for the coffee that is helping to wake me out of this state of weariness; for the big old cat on my lap who is trying to interrupt my typing because he wants some loving; for the sound of the furnace that is making it cozy; for the fuzzy slippers that are covering my painful toes; for the vehicle in the driveway with a possible broken brake line, but got me safely home last night;  for each person that I will come in contact with today….some that will bless, uplift, and inspire me…… and those that will disappoint, frustrate, and confuse me.  In all things…pleasant and unpleasant….I am going to TRY (heck, I’m even grateful that I don’t need to be PERFECT and that I can TRY again and again) to find something to be grateful for.

TODAY…my goal….my priority….is to express gratitude….to give someone else the gift of feeling appreciated…..to say, “THANK YOU”…..but only if I sincerely mean it. There is nothing worse than phoniness…ingenuine expressions of appreciation….empty words.   Today…. I am going to make a conscious effort to find ways to say, THANK YOU....to the stranger who holds the door open for me; to the stranger that smiles at me as I pass him/her in the hallway; for the clerk at the grocery story who tells me to have a good day; to the driver that lets me switch lanes in the traffic; to the friends and/or loved ones who show me love or kindness; for the student that comes to my door seeking help instead of trying (and failing) to handle the situation alone……TO….FOR…..   My best educated guess: If I approach this day LOOKING FOR….Trying to recognize…..SEEKING OUT…ways/situations to be grateful…..I will be overwhelmed with blessings, or at least I will become aware of all the good things that happen around me that often go unnoticed in the midst of chaos.  Try it….you may be pleasantly surprised how your attitude changes…..how your focus becomes outward…..how suddenly you don’t need that candy bar or cigarette to make you feel good this afternoon…..how suddenly, it’s not food that is feeds your emotions and makes you feel happy, but rather your mindset.


I encourage you to join me……Look for blessings and positives this day….and do what you can to MAKE it a good day….regardless of what comes your way!

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