Thanksgiving is always a season that makes me really check my heart attitude. I tell my kids that being grateful is a choice and doesn’t depend on our circumstances. But it takes practice. Lots and lots of practice. As people, we are can easily go down the “grass is greener over yonder and life stinks and I would rather work somewhere else and I hate doing all this laundry and dishes! look at all the dishes!…la la la la la” road of complaining. I once heard someone say that complaining is like throwing up on people. I would say that’s true.
So I have learned over the years that being grateful starts with ME making a choice to practice gratefulness and then taking action. Did you know that your thoughts are powerful and can be controlled? Being intentional about replacing the negative thoughts about the mountains of laundry and the amount of time spent in the kitchen cooking for my family, with grateful thoughts of the people that I get to serve and the fact that I’m not alone and have food. “Put your focus not on what you HAVE to do but what you GET to do” (I can’t remember who said that wise statement). This includes changing 10 poopie diapers in one day and breaking up kid fights over and over again.
Keeping a gratitude journal is a really great way of being intentional about the gifts in life. I have a page in my planner that’s dedicated to gratefulness. Constantly voicing how blessed we are to my children in place of complaints has to happen as these little people watch mom and dad. The book “1000 Gifts” by Ann Voskamp is absolutely amazing and a must read for all that wish to learn how to live a life of gratitude and how to be intentional.
What are some ways that you are intentional about choosing gratefulness? With Thanksgiving in two days, let’s think about ways we can choose JOY and GRATEFULNESS over stress & worry & envy. Not only on Thanksgiving – but every day of the year!
I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends!