November always invites us to pause from our busyness and self-interest for a moment and give thanks. Whether we gather with family, friends, volunteer at a shelter, or spend the day alone, we all can be thankful. The beauty of being a faith-based life coach is that the principals for successful living are abounding in the Bible.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 reads like this in the AMP version, in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Often, I am asked, “How can I be thankful for this awful situation?” The truth is you don’t have to be thankful for the situation, but you can be thankful in the situation. You can be thankful because you can delight in your faith. A faith that offers us hope in darkest of times. You can be thankful because you have the privilege of prayer. Prayer that gives us access to the One with all power. Even when the circumstances do not change, we can find peace in them. When prayer does not change things, it changes us.
Give thanks. Even when you’re not feeling thankful. Gratitude is not based on a feeling. Feelings come and go. If you based your gratitude on feelings, you’d be grateful at 9:00 am and by noon, you’d be ungrateful because of some incident along the way. Thankfulness is based on the knowledge that all things are working together for your good. (Romans 8:28). How you shape your thoughts influences your environment. Dr. Alexis Maston often says our words create our world and our thoughts create things. Gratitude is your first step in the road to success.
An article in Forbes Magazine suggests that gratitude is a choice, not a result. I agree. You choose to be grateful. I am certain that if you look within and without, you can find something to be grateful for each day. Even if it’s the fact that you are still here. Considering what we experienced in 2020, we should not find it so easy to take life for granted.
Gratitude is powerful. It helps you to focus on what you have and not what you don’t have. We often spend so much time and effort to obtain the next great thing while overlooking the gifts around us. Many times, after striving and achieving the very thing we wanted, we are disappointed and disillusioned.
Here are three things that gratitude can cultivate in your life.
1. Stronger Relationships
Gratitude has a positive impact on our social interactions and makes our relationships stronger. Whether personally or professionally when you sincerely value others, you develop a strong support team of caring people. We all need assistance on our journey to success and having the encouragement and assistance of others is invaluable in fueling us forward.
2. Better Physical Health
Gratitude helps you to reduce stress and leaves you feeling more energetic and productive. Good health leads to a better quality of life and allows you to enjoy your successes and energizes you to pursue other goals.
3. Better Mental Health
People who practice gratitude have lower levels of depression, anxiety, and envy. You are less likely to focus on negative emotions when you are thankful for what you have right now.
An article in Matrix Magazine explains that “the foundation of true achievement lies in our mindset and personal growth.” The power of gratitude is that it helps you to become a better version of yourself. The endless pursuit of material possessions and the collection of kudos leaves us shallow, empty, and hungering for more. It leaves you seeking validation from others. Gratitude urges you to look deep within to know and accept yourself apart from your goods and then compels you to see and attend to the good of others.
The life of abundance, fulfillment, and success that you long for is created by consciously cultivating gratitude. Gratitude is transformative. It is the seed that can blossom into a life that is truly meaningful and reflects the best side of who you are.
“Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
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