It is Virtually Impossible to be Thankful and Negative at the Same Time.

We just aren’t wired that way. It’s been proven in study after study, that those who cultivate an attitude of gratitude are happier. It makes sense when you consider the thankful versus negative thing.

Here’s a crazy question for you…

Have you ever considered how great it is to have a big toe? What would it be like if you didn’t have one? It would be very difficult to walk, you certainly couldn’t run, and just standing still would take quite a lot of effort. My sister has a plaque in her home that says “Imagine how you would feel if you lost everything you had right now. And then got it all back.”

That’s a powerful thing to consider. Just thinking about it brings a massive sense of relief doesn’t it? Why don’t we feel that way every day?

I believe it’s because we are often focused much more on what we DON’T have as opposed to what we do.

I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t try to achieve more, acquire more, become more, and experience more. I am not a fan of complacency. I think that leads down a dark road. We aren’t very happy in life when we stay stuck in any particular place too long. We become restless and bored. We are better off continuing to strive to become more. And be careful to not confuse complacency with being content. A good friend pointed this out recently. Contentment is a sense of satisfaction and a bit of happiness in where you are, which is an excellent heart place to work forward from.

When you stop for a few moments to ponder all that you have to be grateful for, this also is a big list.

It affords you the ability to push away feelings of lack which are attitude killers. In fact, barring an extreme issue like a terminal illness, your life is so rich in things to be grateful for, regardless of your current perspective on this, that there are truly billions of people in the world who would change places with you in a heart-beat.

You likely have an abundance of food, shelter, skills, resources of some kind, people in your life that love you, access to a bounty of activities, services, and entertainment, and the list goes on. Here are two more suggestions for you. The first is to make a gratitude list. Consider everything you could possibly be glad you have or have access to. If you need more clues, look at this exercise inversely. Think of everything you would not like have taken away, from your personal freedoms to anything physical to relationships and possessions.

Making this list will reveal just how abundant your life really is. Life is pretty good when you have abundance. Once you make this list, revisit it daily for a little while.

The second idea for you is to be purposeful throughout the day to recognize things you are grateful for. Throughout your day there are so many things to enjoy that are all around you. Nature, people, and experiences are abundant daily if you take the few seconds to acknowledge them.

This cultivation of your gratitude will have a direct effect on giving you a positive outlook. This is an excerpt from the book 3 Circles Living and is taken from the section of the book where I talk about developing yourself. If you got value from this, please share with others!

In this video (an excerpt from a longer web presentation) you get further insight into personal development.

Spread the love