We live in an “I need it” society.
I need a late model car
I need a larger home or apartment
I need the latest fashions
I need to eat out all the time
I need my smartphone
I need my 120 cable channels
We really can’t help ourselves. We’re constantly being plugged “the next best thing,” or the next “gotta-have” item. Apple and Samsung continually advertise the latest, greatest smartphone, because of course your current smartphone won’t do. Automobile commercials seductively suggest that our current car isn’t up to snuff. Reality TV shows like the Housewives of Atlanta suggest that we should aspire to the “better things in life.”
As a nation, we’ve become addicted to wanting more, but our lust for things that we ultimately don’t need has left many of us struggling with debt, living paycheck to paycheck.
So how do we break the cycle of always wanting more? Learn how to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. Melody Beattie
Gratitude brings things into perspective. It puts the brakes on excessive desires and calms the yearnings of wanting more. Appreciation turns our attention from what we don’t have to all that we do possess.
When was the last time you took a gratitude inventory? What was the last day that you spent more than a few seconds looking inside your blessings bucket?
Without gratitude, happiness is rare. With gratitude, the odds for happiness go up dramatically. Zig Ziglar
Instead of always wanting more stuff, celebrate the amazing blessings that are already in your life. Put things into perspective. Your worst financial nightmare is most of the rest of the world’s financial fairy tale. As you ponder your blessings, realize that many of life’s richest rewards simply can not be purchased.
There is simply no price tag for the soft embrace of your significant other, a heart pounding laugh with your best friend, or the mischievous joy expressed by your healthy son or daughter.
We live in one of the safest, most prosperous nations in the world where we take running water, clean food, and abundant electricity for granted. And for many of us, eternal salvation is something we enjoy that no credit card in the world can purchase.
Start practicing an attitude of gratitude today.
Make a list
Jam a gratitude session. Take a moment to simply write down all the blessings in your life. Post your list some place prominently in your home.
Start a nightly gratitude journal
Every night before you go to bed write down all the things you were grateful for that day.
Write thank you notes
Every so often take a few minutes to write a thank you note to someone you are blessed to have in your life.
Select a gratitude rock or ribbon
Purchase a small keepsake that you can carry around in your pocket. Every time you see or touch it think of one small blessing in your life.
Add thanks to your prayer life
There’s no better way to create an attitude of gratitude than by thanking your Creator for all that is good in your life.
By rocking an attitude of gratitude you’ll bring more peace into your life while keeping more money in your pocket.
BMWK, what blessings are you thankful for?