Attitude of Gratitude

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

As we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday this week, it seems appropriate to spend some time thinking about Gratitude. With the economic condition we are experiencing right now, it is very tempting to think about what we have lost – perhaps our jobs, our savings, our 401ks and more – or perhaps to worry about what we might lose in the future.

This morning, a friend sent me a special email message. It included the quote at the start of this blog. It also held some pearls of wisdom that I want to share with you:

• Grateful behavior can facilitate positive interpersonal and community relationships.
  
• The expression of gratitude may help one adapt to life's challenges.
  
• Grateful individuals report higher levels of life satisfaction and optimism and greater energy and connections with other people.
  
• Growing evidence indicates that the expression of gratitude can also improve one's physical health and functioning, such as positive changes in an individual's cardiovascular and immune functioning.
  
• People who are generally grateful may tend to live longer lives.

A former business colleague also sent me a note this morning. He ended his note by telling me he hoped that I was doing well “in life, career and faith”. His note made me pause to think about “life, career and faith”. I closed my response to him by saying, "Thank you for asking and helping me to appreciate all that I have during this Thanksgiving week.”

Yes, I have much for which to be grateful!

Consider this:

“Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives as
parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which
secret garden we will tend… when we choose not to focus
on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for
the abundance that is present — love, health, family,
friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits
that bring us pleasure — the wasteland of illusion
falls away and we experience Heaven on earth.”
–Sarah Ban Breathnach

Question to ponder: What are the blessings in your life? What can you be thankful about right now, today?