Article By Kevin L. DeWitt

Focusing on gratitude can change a person’s life for the better.  Just giving thanks.  It’s one of the simplest actions we can take, and yet it has the power to transform.

I have been working at being conscious of all the things I have to be grateful for … my wife, my family, health, a loving forgiving God … and also trying to recognize that while I feel the recessionary pinch to be very real, I have so much more than many who are less fortunate.  Gratitude has affected everything.  

It has made me a more positive person – although that is a work in progress!  I’m not perfect, but gratitude has made me better.

Gratitude can change your life.  No one will get the exact same results, because no one is in the exact same position in their life.  However, the simple act of gratitude on a regular basis will change anyone’s life, positively and immediately.  How many other changes can claim to be that simple and fast, and that profound?

Here are some ways you can incorporate gratitude into your life, and how it will change your life. These are just some examples.  So pick and choose the ones you think will work for you.

Start the day with gratitude.  In the morning when you wake, take a couple minutes to think of the things in your life you are blessed with, people who have done something nice for you, or the things in your life you are grateful for.  It does not need to be an all-encompassing list.  You won’t remember everything, but that’s ok.  Going through this brief exercise will make you feel better.  And if you are inclined, thank God for the blessing I your life.  It is a great way to start the day.

In tough times, list the things you are grateful for.  Each of us have bad days.  Some more than others, but even so we all do.  It can be anything … a tough day at work, we said the wrong thing to our spouse, someone in the family is hurting, we were yelled at, the car broke down … the list can go on and on.  One of the things that can make a bad day much better is making a list of all the things you’re thankful for. There are always things to be thankful for.

Try gratitude instead of anger.  This is hard to do, but it can make you feel great.  If you get mad at your co-worker, for example, because of something he or she did … bite your tongue and don’t react in anger. Instead, take some deep breaths, count to ten, calm down, and try to think of reasons you’re grateful for that person.  Has that person done anything nice for you?  Has that person ever done a good job?  Find something, even if it’s difficult.  Focus on those things that make you grateful.  It will change your feelings. It will improve your mood, your relationship, and help make things better.

Be grateful to your spouse.  Over the course of my marriage, I don’t think I have shown my wife that I am grateful for her as much as I should have … or could have.  I am very grateful for her, and I thank God each day for her … but I need to tell her more often.  It’s important to be able to talk out issues in a marriage, but no one likes to be criticized or ignored all the time. Instead, when you find yourself feeling the urge to criticize, stop and take a deep breath. Calm down, and think about all the reasons you’re grateful for your spouse. Then share that gratitude, as soon as possible, and hopefully your relationship will become stronger.

Look at challenges as opportunities and be grateful.  Many people see something difficult as a bad thing. If something goes wrong, it’s a reason to complain, it’s a time for self-pity or a time to lash out at others for our difficulties.  While there is a place for grief, self-pity or retribution will not get us anywhere.  Instead, learn to be grateful for the challenge.  Try to be grateful for the chance to grow, to learn, to get better at something.  This will transform you into a positive person who continues to improve.

Focus on the things you have and be grateful.  Don’t focus on the things you don’t have because you will never be satisfied, and never be happy.  Your car may not be as nice as the neighbors.  You may not live in the biggest house in town.  You may feel jealous of your buddy who just got a promotion while you are trying to hold onto your job in a recession.  But what about all the people who have less than you?  We seldom think of them and think to the grateful.  These are opportunities to be grateful for what we already have. It’s easy to forget that there are many people worse off than us … people who don’t have shelter or food, who will never own a car or learn to read and write. 

It’s difficult because we each become caught up in our own lives and troubles and frustrations.  I am certainly not one to preach as I have my own work to do in showing gratitude … however try being grateful for the life you have and the blessing you have.  In most instances, it is more than enough.

“The dominant characteristic of an authentic spiritual life is the gratitude that flows from trust - not only for all the gifts that I receive from God, but gratitude for all the suffering.  Because in that purifying experience, suffering has often been the shortest path to intimacy with God.”
-Brennan Manning

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