“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” —Melody Beattie
Too often, our hearts weigh heavy with feelings of dissatisfaction. We feel dissatisfied with our incomes, our clothes, our cars, our struggles. We chase material possessions and bigger homes.
Sometimes, the easiest way to feel more satisfaction is to stop comparing what we have to others, and to instead practice wanting what we already have. After all, to be upset over what we don’t have is to waste what we already do.
Practicing gratitude is one of the simple things in life we take for granted. It takes effort, intentionality, and a refusal to be influenced by marketers bent on sowing dissatisfaction in our lives.
But giving thanks can start as small as being grateful for your shelter, your food, or your friends and family.
This week, make a list of 5 things you are grateful for every evening before bed. Repeat the same things if you’d like, or think of new things daily.
By practicing gratitude, dissatisfaction will disappear and be replaced with joy and humility.
Sandra says
Thank you for such an important message and reminder!
Michelle Tercha says
My active gratitude practice has given me so much, added so much to my life. I first started it a few years ago as a way to deal with a fairly serious illness, and even though I’ve not recovered as well as I’d have hoped to, I am grateful, every day. Michelle t
The Berkat says
Easier said than done. Everyone wants to be appreciated, but to appreciate? That’s hard.
But definitely, require a lot of practices.
Bethany @ Happily Loco says
I think that what I call “Unconditional Gratitude” has kind of been a theme this Thanksgiving. Over the past year, I experienced a traumatic situation and learned to find gratitude through it. I wrote an article about it on my blog today, which is a similar message.
Amit says
I was in the same boat of constantly needing something new.
The fact that I had many things that were just lying around in the house unused for many months never crossed my mind….until I discovered minimalism,frugality and tiny house living.
The more I read/saw videos, the more I realized just how far from actual happiness I was moving away.
In the early 90’s when I had few possessions, I would take extra special care and reuse them again and again…and feel happy EVERY TIME I used them.
The more money I started acquiring, the more greed took over to acquire more and more things.
Thanks to minimalism I have started downsizing big time and keep only a few things that I can actually use on a regular basis and really appreciate the few things that give me pure joy.
Minimalism has been an eyeopener as well as a life changer.
I lost a few friends in the process (as they simply refused to let go of materialism), but in the end a calm mind if far more important to me than constantly being on the treadmill of materialism.
Valerie R. says
“Everyday’s a holiday and every meal a feast” is something I often heard a friend say. If this were our default mode of thought, it would revolutionize society.
Tammy says
Yes! Love this.
Carrying a “Gratitude Rock” helped me develop the habit of having an attitude of gratitude. Every time I came across the rock in my pocket, I would thank God for something, someone, or even Him.
I also have several placed around the house. I like the spontaneity of gratitude that the rocks bring. Thankfulness can change my sour attitude to a good attitude pretty fast.
Donna says
I have done this for years. It really puts things into perspective! I love looking back on previous years to see what I was grateful for that day. Sometimes it was just sunshine and simple things like a phone call from my mom who is no longer living.
MaryAnn Cauthen says
I try to make the “Gratitude” list in early AM when I sit quietly for some devotional reading. This helps get my day off to a positive start. I live in a rural area, yet most of my friends are in a town near me, and we have different lifestyles. I am more into “back to basics”, organic, veg. diet, & for sure a more frugal lifestyle than most of them. Doing this list keeps me centered & on track of what I know is most important in my life. Thanks so much for your writings.
RBF says
This Christmas I am suffering because I want to buy things, but deep down I know I dont need it… and I am thinking if… what if I just save/invest that money… and I begin to smile right away…
Cheryl Derricotte says
Totally Agree Joshua! Gratitude practice is one of my daily rituals.
It is the first thing I do in the morning when I wake up and the last thing I do before I go to sleep.