Be Thankful

Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.
~ Author Unknown ~

Why Living a Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy by Leo Babauta

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart

Many days, I try to humble myself and hold a 2-minute gratitude session. I simply sit or kneel, with no distractions, close my eyes, and think about what I’m grateful for and who I’m grateful for.

I don’t do it every day, but let me tell you, on the days I do it, it makes me very happy.

Why should that be? Why should the simple act of thinking about who and what I’m grateful for make such a big difference in my life?

Just a few reasons:

• Because it reminds you of the positive things in your life. It makes you happy about the people in your life, whether they’re loved ones or just a stranger you met who was kind to you in some ways.
• Because it turns bad things into good things. Having problems at work? Be grateful you have work. Be grateful you have challenges, and that life isn’t boring. Be grateful that you can learn from these challenges. Be thankful they make you a stronger person.
• Because it reminds you of what’s important. It’s hard to complain about the little things when you give thanks that your children are alive and healthy. It’s hard to get stressed out over paying bills when you are grateful there is a roof over your head.
• Because it reminds you to thank others. I’ll talk about this more below, but the simple act of saying “thank you” to someone can make a big difference in that person’s life. Calling them, emailing them, stopping by to say thank you … just taking that minute out of your life to tell them why you are grateful toward them is important to them. People like being appreciated for who they are and what they do. It costs you little, but makes someone else happy. And making someone else happy will make you happy.

What do I give thanks for, privately, in my little gratitude session? It varies every day. I thank all the readers of this site, for the encouragement you have given me, for the donations you’ve made that have made me that much closer to realizing my dreams, for the criticism you’ve given that has made this site better … for the time you’ve given me, just reading the articles when you have the chance.

I thank my loved ones, for all they do to me. I thank strangers who’ve shown me little acts of kindness. I thank God, for the life he’s given me. I thank people around the world for the things they’ve done to make the world better. I thank myself, for things that I’ve done (it’s important to recognize your own accomplishments).

Never Forget to Say Thanks

One thing I really have learned from living my life is this. Saying thanks is a big deal. Many people take this word for granted. They say it as an after thought. A few months back my lower back hurt all the time. there was not a day that I woke up that I was not in pain. Many times I could not even get out of my bed. One day I asked my sister to help me up and she reluctantly did. When I finally was able to stand on my own midst the sharp pains I whispered, "Thank you." She stop in her tracks, the perturbed look gone and she said wow, you are welcome. You must really be in a lot of pain. That thank you was so full of gratitude." That is when I realized. Those two little words mean the world when said in the spirit of gratitude.

We are all so busy trying to get to the end result that we push past people, step on toes, and crush other feelings all in the name of making our dreams happen. When someone helps us, gives a tip, a strategy, a hand up... we need to take a moment to say..."Thank You" not because you helped me make a dollar, or because you had to do it. But thank you because in the scheme of things, you really did not have to help me. I know many people will say thanks to me for my blogs... some will say thank you for a post I posted on my social media pages. I do not take their thank yous lightly.

Just think it only take a minute to say thank you but it can last for an eternity. You have know the frame of mind someone is in and your thanks can make a world of difference.

Be Empowered
Coach Linda Hillman
Copyright 2012 Destined 2 B U Empowerment Group