“Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” Fred De Witt Van Amburgh
My friend Gillianne has a great way of being optimistic, no matter her situation. Often, when I am about to start a pity party, I remember her saying that we should always have an “attitude of gratitude”. I take a deep breath and change my attitude. Change it to one of gratitude. Gillianne is also the person who taught me to remember always that “it could be far worse”. Thanks, Chica! I am grateful for you!
“Attitude is defined as the posture, action or disposition, the position as indicating an action, feeling or mood.“
Having an attitude of gratitude means, taking the action of being grateful. It begins with the thought ” this could be far worse” and then a review of all that is around, an appreciation for all that is good
Sometimes I have had to go below the surface to reach the good, particularly when I feel overwhelmed by my circumstance. However, by grace, I can always find that which I can be thankful for or about. That which I can focus on with a disposition of gratitude.
During this current world situation, we are all facing, I want to truly embrace this attitude of gratitude. I want it to become a part of who I am of how I deal with the pressures of the world. I would like gratitude to be my way of being, my attitude to life!
When I review the last few years of my life, I have certainly come a long way. I live a more positive hopeful existence than I did before. My outlook on life is one of hope. I am now aware that though I cannot control life itself, I can control my outlook to life. My outlook to the life I have allows me to manage any situation I find myself in. I realize that my life is finite. It is not a dress rehearsal, and I cannot trade it with any other person, now would I want to.
When I look at how blessed my life is, how much I have in this life to be thankful for, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. As time does not stand still nor am I able to turn it back for a redo of my life. It is futile for me to spend any time looking back at what could have been. Looking back with regret. Far better use of my time is to focus on now, with gratitude. For all, I am and have.
I challenge you to do the same, look at your life currently and find one or two things that make you feel truly grateful. Focus on that and somehow even the worst of situations become more palatable. Have an attitude (take action) of gratitude.