~Gratitude~ It Turns What We Have Into Enough~

I wrote this post a while ago but wanted to repost some of it. It was originally part of a 200th post give away I did. I have edited it but wanted to include it here since I didn't have time to write a current one and the principals are timeless. Thanks to my friend Audrey for reminding me about it. :o)

I would like to dedicate this post to the POWER of GRATITUDE.

WHY gratitude? Well mainly because I think it is such a powerful tool that doesn't get the attention it merits.

How often are you grateful? Most people only focus on being grateful when something great happens in their life, and maybe on Thanksgiving Day.

I have learned that something as simple as just being grateful for what you have, rather than focusing on what you don't, has an incredible, almost magical power of creating instant happiness. One of the fastest ways to improve your mood or outlook is to count your blessings. When challenging trials or problems come into your life, being grateful for the situation in some way - even when you don't like anything about it- allows you to get through it with a more optimistic attitude. It really is true that every dark cloud has a silver lining. Behind every problem lies an opportunity.

But remember being grateful is a CHOICE. Even though there is usually a downside to each situation, there is also a positive side. The one you choose to focus on is up to you. When something happens, either good or bad, pause for a moment, think it through, and then choose how you want to feel about it. The more you choose gratitude, the happier you will be, mainly because you won't be obsessing over the negatives anymore. You can learn to use gratitude to transform your life.

Most of us tend to be in the habit of negative thinking. When we experience something painful or hard it tends to throw us into a negative state of mind. We then experience feelings of anger, disappointment, hurt, resentment, etc., never realizing that it doesn't have to be that way! We allow ourselves to stay in our negative frame of mind, which ultimately means we are allowing our experiences to choose our mind-set. Not consciously choosing our mind-set, is a choice in and of itself. If we want gratitude to influence our lives then we need to choose it. It's not an automatic response for most people. It is a conscious choice that we must make many times each day. Instead of allowing outside circumstances to determine your attitude, stop and tell yourself, "I choose to be grateful for_______." Then allow yourself to feel grateful.

Gratitude is a choice. Gratitude is an attitude. And gratitude is a habit. When we consciously practice being grateful for the people, situations, and circumstances around us we begin to experience more peace and happiness!!! So what are you grateful for right now?
Below were the requirements for entering the contest on the original post, but I left them on to challenge you on what you can do to increase your gratitude daily.

♥ Leave a comment about what you are grateful for today.

♥If you want an additional entry then just mention this contest on your blog along with a link to mine and tell me you did.

♥For a third entry... start a Gratitude Journal where you write down 5 things you are grateful for each day and then leave me another comment before (before Nov. 11th) telling me you started one. ☺ If you already have one, then you are automatically entered again! Just let me know!

And remember to...

BE GRATEFUL today!

I also wrote a post on helps on how to teach our children gratitude HERE.