It’s easy to begin feeling you are somehow lacking because you haven’t achieved the success or fortune of others, especially when we are constantly bombarded with stories about the rich and famous on reality shows, in magazines, and everyday life. These stories are everywhere and they all glamorize the luxury lifestyle.
It can be easy to feel less blessed or as if God has forgotten about you when you barely have enough to make ends meet.
When you’re in a bad mood or going through a rough time, the last thing on your mind is about being thankful.
However being able to give thanks when times are hard is important. The next time you’re feeling less than thankful, use these helpful tips to get back on track and start giving thanks:
Keep a Gratitude Journal
Reminding yourself what you have to be grateful for and recording your gratefulness each day helps to cement how thankful you are.
It doesn’t matter how difficult your life is at the moment, there is always something to be thankful for, some shining light of gratitude.
It Could Be Worse
Whenever myself or my brothers didn’t want to eat our food, My mom would always say ” Be thankful for that food on your plate. There are people in this world who are starving with nothing to eat… Eating out of trash cans!”.
I don’t know about you, but after hearing this suddenly, those veggies didn’t taste so bad. The same thing can apply to adult life.
Think of how much worse it could be and suddenly you’re thankful for what you have. Be thankful for the blessings you do have in life.
If you’re struggling with naming those blessings, it can be beneficial to go back to what you’ve written in your gratitude journal previously.
Do Good for Others
Helping others that are in need is a great way to help you feel thankful for the opportunities you have in life. Providing humanitarian efforts is a great morale booster and will bring positivity to your life.
You don’t “have” to. You “get” to
You get to wake up early for work.
You get to make another sales call for your business.
You get to work out today.
You get to make dinner for your family.
You get to go to your son’s game.
I think it’s important to remind yourself that the things you do each day are not burdens, they are opportunities. So often, the things we view as work are actually the reward.
You’re Alive For a Reason!
Enjoy the outside world. Soak up the world around you. Appreciate the air, the trees and the beautiful sun. If you’re having a long day, appreciating the smaller things in life. Being one with nature will humble you.
While you may not be thankful, you should give thanks to God for blessing your life in a number of ways and for providing you with the vitals to keep on keeping on.
You’re alive, and with that being said…. Things can get better!
People with a strong sense of gratitude, love and appreciation don’t necessarily have more than others; they aren’t “more blessed” They simply recognize and see the potential in their lives.
People who cultivate thankfulness are generally happier and healthier than people who don’t.
