A Grateful Heart
How often do you say "thank you"? For anything or for everything? To those around you or in silent prayers?
For many of us it's never enough. It's not that you’re ungrateful just that you’re not focused on the right things. Or maybe you don’t feel like you have the time. Maybe you don’t feel like you have much to be grateful for. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of all the blessings you have right in front of you.
Expressing gratitude, even when you don’t want to, is a great self-care technique with numerous health benefits.
Expressing gratitude will improve your mood.
Learning to regularly express gratitude for positive things in your life will make you happier and lead to less stress and worry.
Showing gratitude will make you more optimistic and give you a more positive outlook on life.
Good habits take time, practice, patients, devotion and commitment. Bad ones are easy and just take seconds but can ruin your life and happiness. Like they say "the best things in life don't come easy".
Here are some easy things to be thankful for to get you started.
1. Your life- It's up, it's down and it's no where near perfect but it's yours and your writing it's story. You can wake every morning thankful for each breath and every second longer you get to spend on this beautiful planet with the people you love the most.
2. Your family, friends and pets- Your biggest fans! All the people who stand proudly by your side giving guidance, support and unconditional love. Life with other's is always a challenge but would you give up a single moment with those you love.
3. Mother nature- In all her awe inspiring magnificence. There are always complications and unexpected surprises when you tangle with mother nature but life without her beauty would be unbearable. Every challenge she offers is a blessing for something greater, a challenge to seek the rewards at the end of the journey and worth every second.
4. Creation- The ability to create is one of the greatest blessing you are given. Without creation none of us would be here. Without creation many of the inventions we take for granted and enjoy on a daily bases wouldn't exist. Without creation life as we know it would be over.
5. The seemingly mundane stuff- Your job: No matter how much you might hate it some days it keeps a roof over your head, food in your belly and gas in your tank. Your place of residence: No matter where or what it is it’s a roof over your head. Your health: it may not be great all the time but you can see, walk, use your hands and work to keep a roof over head.
6. Light, positivity and love- The world can be a dark, scary and hateful place but it is also full of light and love. You have the ability to spread these things to others, to influence lives and make a positive difference in the world.
7. Visitors, future acquaintances and enemies- Every single person has an effect on you and your life. There are always rough patches in a life where other's are involved. People don't always see eye to eye. They may come and go in a blink. They may cause you pain, anger, suffering, grief, happiness or just pass by but each can teach valuable lessons, help you grow or change your life.
8. Trials and tribulations- We all hate these and wish we never had to deal with them. That life would just be simple and easy but it's not. It's complicated and messy. Without challenge you can't grow, you can't reach your full potential, you can't become what you are meant to be and you can't see the good when you have it. You may not like it but they are necessary pieces of life.
So to each of you, I pray that your life is one full of gratitude and if you are lost in the darkness remember there is always light, seek her out for she's just waiting to be found.
‘til next time,
Misty
If you're ready to add some of Mother Nature’s beauty to your space check out my photography shop.
