Ep.996: How Do I Make Gratitude My Constant Companion?
Learning to tap into and live by the transforming power of gratitude
CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: Colossians 3:2
Human nature is a funny thing. We live in an age of instant gratification, an age of virtually no waiting for anything. We send a text, a tweet, a message or we post, and our expectation is for an almost instant answer or follow or response or reaction. What we want we not only assume we can get, we assume we can get it immediately in just the right color, brand and style. Getting and having have become so easy and expected that we have begun to overlook the value of patience, waiting and doing without. Human nature IS a funny thing. In this age of abundance, we are experiencing a very high rate of dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Why? One reason is that we have all but forgotten the preserving and healing power of gratitude. It’s really simple - for happiness and contentment to flourish, they require gratitude to be their constant companion. Let’s take a look and see how it all works…
The first thing to realize about gratitude is that it is a basic building block and ingredient for anything that is good to make it long lasting. Consider these simple examples: You have lots of money and lots of stuff. This can be good - really good - but without gratitude for all of it, you might find yourself being dissatisfied, paranoid or just plain miserable. Check the statistics on this – it is frighteningly true. How about this – you are in a wonderful and loving relationship. This can be really good – even great - but without gratitude for the other party, your relationship will slowly begin to go stale, or even spoil, and all you will end up with are memories that are bitter or bewildered. You see, gratitude is the glue that holds a contented and productive life together!
The second thing to realize about gratitude is that it is a basic building block and ingredient for finding ways to cope with tragedy and difficult circumstances. Consider these telling examples: You are broke and have very little. This is difficult, to say the least, and we often find ourselves focusing on our misery which closes our hearts and minds to anything else. Gratitude in such times focuses your being on appreciating the precious good that you DO have and that opens you up to being able to see past the misery and notice opportunity. How about this – your spouse is dying of cancer, and they are too young and it’s not fair. Without gratitude, the stress of the situation eats both of you up and you lose your affection and appreciation for one another. With gratitude, the cancer becomes an event, difficult as it is, it does not hurt your relationship; rather, it becomes a tool to enhance it. I actually watched this happen recently, so I know it works.
The bottom line is, you and I need to understand how to have gratitude alive and well in our daily lives. The process for this can actually be an easy and enjoyable experience. Check out our November 20, 2017 podcast, “How Do I Make Gratitude My Constant Companion?” and see how it all works. Take this seriously...it could have a life changing impact on your every day. Thanks!
Leave your comment