Do you notice in yourself or in others how easy it is to complain about problems and situations? Or, how we often focus on what we don’t have, how bad we are being treated or unfair a situation may be?

Being the victim–well that’s easy. Thoughts like everyone is against me, nothing ever works out for me, and feelings of whoa and pity me hang over us like gloomy gray clouds.

Where in this behavior is our spirit of gratitude? Is it buried under everything that is not right in our life? Has it been forgotten, devalued and unappreciated?

Without a spirit of gratitude, we lose hope. Hope for our present and future.

Without the spirit of gratitude, we miss out on appreciating the beauty of a painful situation (even in pain there is purpose). Yes, there is good beyond our current circumstances and blessings that will be fulfilled during and after a challenge.

Without the spirit of gratitude, we can forget what we accomplished and have overcome.

So, let us operate more in the spirit of gratitude.  Below are some tips for how you can do it.

-Count your blessings every day.

-Reflect frequently about how far you’ve come.

-Do little things like give thanks for a new day.

-In the spur of the moment when something moves you ( like when your child says the most adorable or intelligent statement) give thanks. That child is a gift to you.

-Write a gratitude list and add to it daily.

-Call someone and tell them “thank you for just being you”.

-Journal your 2017 experiences, and at the end of the year review them so you can be reminded of how fortunate you really are.

-Demonstrate a spirit of gratitude for the complicated matter currently in your life.

-Find good in and explore opportunity regarding a stressful concern.
Now that’s the spirit of gratitude!

Next week I’m launching a 7 Day Gratitude Challenge! Every day, starting on Monday the week of January 16, I invite you to reflect on and share something you are grateful for. 

All you have to do is to name one or more things you are grateful for. You can list as many as you wish. It’s that simple.

To participate in the challenge just write your gratitude list in the comment box.

So get ready! I look forward to going on this journey with you.

All the best,
Tirza