Be grateful, your Uncle Tony says. And you think, “If I’m gonna be grateful, then I’ve got to look really hard to find things to be grateful for.”
Of course that’s not true of you. You practice gratitude already, because you’re blessed.
Still.
If we’re honest, there are times when being grateful doesn’t come naturally.
So, do you have a grateful heart? Is that a pattern in your life? Or are you letting circumstances and the darkness of this world steer you toward bitterness and ingratitude?
So, here are some signs that you can look for in your own life that teach you that you at least have the capacity to be grateful.
- You don’t have to prove anything to anyone else.
- I’d think of this as being secure in your own skin. You don’t have an identity that comes from what you do, or even who you hang out with. Others don’t define you. You’re content whether others appreciate you or not.
- You aren’t small-minded.
- Know how it seems people go around looking for reasons to be angered or outraged these days? It’s like they wear their pettiness as a badge of honor.
- That ain’t you. You don’t let what others say get under your skin. And even when you are faced with a personal attack, you keep your cool.
- You seldom use terms like “I should’ve,” “I ought‘ve,” and “If only.”
- Regrets can for sure keep you from being grateful. We all wish we had “do-overs” for the pathetically boneheaded things we’ve done.
- Listen: you can’t undo what’s already happened. Lord knows I can be among the worst when it comes to looking in the rear-view mirror, and letting things that happened in college still bother me.
- If you want to be grateful, then realize that you can still learn and grow from the times you blew it.
- You love to give.
- Isn’t that true? Be grateful that you CAN give. Be generous. It feels good.
- (That’s why when someone offers to buy my lunch, I let them. I know how good I feel when I do that. Why would I deny them that same feeling?)
- Seriously – be generous. Don’t be self-seeking. Be gracious in meeting other people’s needs.
- People know that they mean something to you.
- When you’re thankful for others – and I mean genuinely thankful – they know it.
- Others like to know that they’re significant to you. Everybody wants to be wanted.
- You know that you mean something to others.
- That’s the flip side of the point above.
- Okay, I get it. Maybe you don’t feel appreciated. Well, this side of eternity you may never know just how important you were to someone.
- And the sure thing is that the God Who created you is crazy in love with you. You mean so much to Him. Be grateful for that. His love is everlasting. Cool.
I’d love to sit down with you and help you practice gratitude. Being grateful gives you a superpower.
Look around. People are miserable. They’ve let the cares and worries of this world overcome them.
Don’t be like that. Being grateful makes you strong. It protects you from the fiery darts of Satan. It puts your head in a good place.
If you want to practice something that really works, do this:
Every night, before you shut down, take some paper or open a doc on your device. Write down three things you’re grateful for.
I ‘d heard this before, and tended to say, “Yeah, right.”
It works. Don’t ask me how, but it works. You’ll find your attitude toward life will sweeten over time. You’ll find yourself more positive and not so whiny. You will genuinely be grateful.
You’ll know it. Others will know it. And it’s a good, good thing.
Be blessed.