Attitude of Gratitude

​It’s the week of Thanksgiving, and thankfulness is in the air. It’s nice we take time out of the year to remember the many things we have to be thankful for. But what about the rest of the year? Should we only be thankful one day out of 365 or one month out of 12?
 
Believe it or not, you can develop a yearlong attitude of gratitude. If you’re stuck in a rut, that may not sound very easy, or appealing. But conditioning your mind to see the good in things will benefit not only you, but those around you as well.
 
Let me give you an example. There was a time in my life when I had a very low self-image. I didn’t think highly of myself, nor did I think others should. And during that time, I was so focused on myself and my many faults that it was hard to see the good around me, in my relationships and in my surroundings.
 
I remember being discontent in my marriage (yes, each marriage goes through difficult times). I knew I wanted to stay with my husband and fulfill the vows I made for “as long as we both shall live.” And I knew that in order for that to happen, something had to change.
 
So I set out to find the good in my husband, determined to come up with at least one good thing a day. When I thought of that one thing, I’d write it down. Some days were harder than others for me to see the good. But eventually, I got to the point where I saw lots of good — and lots more good than bad. Today, that good far outweighs the bad. And our relationship is better because of it.
 
The same thing can happen in any area of our lives. If we’re looking for things to complain about, we’re likely to find them. And if we look for things to be grateful for, that’s  what we’ll find.
 
This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to develop an attitude of gratitude that lasts throughout the year. Look for the good in your circumstances and in the lives of those around you. You might be surprised at what you find.
 
I’m thankful for you.

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