The Cost of Gratitude

“Life should be lived with a little more GRATITUDE and a little less ATTITUDE.”

Gratitude leads to greatness.  It can literally turn what you have into more than enough, jobs into joy, chaos into order, uncertainty into clarity, and bring peace to an otherwise chaotic day.

The easiest way to make your blessings count is to count your blessings.  Acknowledging the good things you already have in your life is of the essence, because whatever you appreciate and give thanks for will grow stronger in your life.

Over my short time of realizing how lucky and blest I am, I have created a few rules to live by.

1.  The more you are in a state of gratitude, the more you will attract things to be grateful for.

• Be grateful for what you have, and you’ll end up having more.
• Focus on what you don’t have, and you’ll never have enough.

2.  Being happy won’t always make you grateful, but being grateful will always make you happy.

• It’s nearly impossible to sincerely appreciate a moment and frown about it at the same time.
• To be happy right now doesn’t mean you don’t desire more, it means you’re grateful for what you have and patient for what’s yet to come.

3.  Gratitude fosters true forgiveness, which is when you can sincerely say, “Thank you for that experience.”

• It makes no sense to condemn or regret an important life lesson.
• Gratitude makes sense of yesterday, brings peace to the present, and creates a positive vision for tomorrow.

4.  You never need more than you have at any given moment.

• It has been said that the highest form of prayer is giving thanks.  Instead of praying ‘for’ things, give thanks for what you already have.
• When life gives you every reason to be negative, think of one good reason to be positive.  There’s always something to be grateful for.

5.  Gratitude is all-inclusive.

• Good days give you happiness and bad days give you wisdom.  Both are essential.
• Because all things have contributed to your advancement, you must include all things in your gratitude.  This is especially true of your relationships.  We meet no ordinary people in our lives; if you give them a chance, everyone has something important to teach you.

6.  What you have to be grateful for in the present changes.

• Be grateful for all you have now, because you honestly never know what will happen next.  What you have will eventually be what you had.
• Life changes every single day, and your blessings will gradually change along with it.

7.  A grateful mind never takes things for granted.

• What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.
• The circumstance (or person) you take for granted today may turn out to be the only one you need tomorrow.

8.  As you express your gratitude, you must not forget that the highest appreciation is not to simply utter words, but to live by them daily.

• What matters most is not what you say, but how you live.
• Don’t just say it, show it.  Don’t just promise it, prove it.

9.  Gratitude includes giving back.

• In the hustle of everyday life we hardly realize how much more we receive than give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude.
• It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the aid of others.

10.  The highest tribute to the people and circumstances you’ve lost is not grief but gratitude.

• Just because something didn’t last forever, doesn’t mean it wasn’t the greatest gift imaginable.
• Be thankful that your paths crossed and that you got the chance to experience something wonderful.

11.  To be truly grateful, you must be truly present.

• Count the blessings in your life, and start with the breath you’re taking right now.
• We often forget that the greatest miracle is not to walk on water; the greatest miracle is to walk on this green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment, appreciating it and feeling completely alive.

12.  Letting go of control multiplies the potential for gratitude.

• Sometimes we put too much weight into trying to control every tiny aspect of our lives that we completely miss the forest for the trees.
• Learn to let go, relax a bit and ride the path that life takes you sometimes.  Try something new, be fearless, but above all else, do your best and be OK with it.  Clearing yourself of needless expectations lets you truly experience the unexpected.  And the greatest joys in life are often the unexpected surprises and opportunities you never anticipated.

So today, I chose to make a list.

Gratitude is not my natural disposition, so this took some time and effort. It was a discipline to remind myself of the many reasons I have to be grateful. But it was an exercise well worth the discomfort.

Here’s my challenge to you: Take some time today, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, to come up with a gratitude list. If it doesn’t come naturally, don’t let that stop you from still giving thanks. There is still much to be thankful for, if we only have eyes to see.

Feeling "Gr8ful"

And in case you were wondering, here are my 8 reasons to give thanks today (and not in any particular order):

1. I am thankful for my health. As round about as it seems, I could have it so much worse. I am thankful for the ability to get up everyday, to dance around like nobody is watching. I have the opportunity to do so many things.
2. I am thankful for being able to write. The ability to write has given me so many opportunities, and some that I did not even know were possible. I am off to a new adventure when it comes to writing. Right now it isn't plausible to focus on it for a career path, but I would never shut the door to having it as a larger part of my life.
3. I am thankful for being from a small town that is so supportive and caring for one another. When someone is in need, the community comes together. Whether it be for times of crisis or times of triumphs. 
4. I am thankful for doing work that seems meaningful. It is a beautiful feeling to feel like you matter.
5. I am thankful for my family and my friends who have molded me to be the person that I am today. I have the biggest support system and people who place myself before themselves for the best intentions. 
6. I am thankful to have privileges in life. Internet, a laptop, a phone, the ability to go to school to earn a higher education, the ability to live in a stable structure. It is these things that seem so small, that are always taken for granted.
7. I am thankful for art. The ability to express oneself was not always a right. Sometimes even today we oppress those who want to display their individuality and uniqueness. I am thankful that I can take other's art and use it as inspiration for my writing. 
8. I am thankful to live in a country where I can go to school, walk the streets, and work without having any law against it. I am lucky to walk the streets and not fear that my house will be taken away, or that I will not have a family to go back to. Canada is so fortunate to know 'peace'.

----+ A reminder that peace can be examined in many different ways. We are not at a perfect peace, not every day is peaceful. We still have threats that come and go. 

I urge each and every one of you to take the time to consider what you are most thankful for. I'd like to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I hope that you all see how blest you are, like I do. 

Oh, and the best part about gratitude? It takes less than thirty seconds a day, and it is completely free!