Motivational Monday: The Importance of Being Thankful

If you are new to my blog and would like to know why I started Motivational Mondays, please go HERE.

Hello my wonderful friends, followers, readers and anyone who just happened to stumble across my blog today.  The theme this month, over at the Path of Positivity is THANKFULNESS.  Thus, I am going to share over here the reflection that I have included as part of the midway post over on my challenge blog.  So, if you are in the habit of checking in over there as well, you'll be able to skip the top half of that post.

So, on with today's thoughts...

PLEASE and THANK YOU.

 Two simple phrases but they pack a lot of meaning. Unfortunately, these days, we hear them less and less in our day-to-day lives. People still want things but forget the niceties that go along with their requests. Today I am going to focus on the second phrase--thank you; or more aptly, the concept of thankfulness.

We have so much to be thankful for in our lives. For some it is health, for others it is the friends and family that they surround themselves with. For a fortunate few it is monetary wealth. But what about the little things that are actually big things? How many of you remember to thank God, your higher power or even the universe itself for things like the air that you breathe or the ground that you walk on; or more importantly, the fact that for most, you have the ability to walk unaided or the ability to breathe freely on your own without the use of a respirator? Some people aren't as fortunate and many of us tend to take much of what we have for granted.

The act of gratitude is very important. Being thankful, not just for the larger things but for the little thing too, allows us to fill our lives with love and appreciation. It reminds us of all the positive things that we have going for us. Sometimes it is easy to get down and dwell in the negativity but gratitude helps us remember just how much we have in our lives that is positive. Having a difficult day at work? Be thankful that you have work in this economy. Complaining about all the aches and pains as you grow older? Be thankful that you aren't a quadriplegic and still have the ability to feel. Feel like you are facing too many challenges? Be thankful that life isn't boring or that you have a mind smart and capable enough of handling the challenges thrown your way. Be thankful that getting through these kinds of challenges, makes you a stronger person.

Being appreciative can also bring a little kindness into the lives of those we come across during our busy days. Whether it is a loved one or a stranger, there is always time to say a quick thank you when someone holds open a door, hands us something, or in response to a compliment they have given us. The act of saying thanks costs us little but can mean so much to the person on the other end. It might also mean that person is in turn a little more thankful themselves.

Being thankful reminds us of what is important in life. If you and your family are healthy and you have money coming in, then it is difficult to get upset over things that are really inconsequential in the larger scheme. If you are upset over the cost of gas, just be thankful that you have a car. Kids driving you crazy? Be thankful that they are healthy enough to be running and jumping all over the place and that they have voices with which to scream. If you are upset that you don't have enough money to buy something that you really want right at this moment, just be thankful that you have a home that you will be able to bring it to, once you have saved up a little more. When someone passes you the salt at the dinner table, remember to say thank you. There are many people out there who don't have food let alone a dinner table or a home to put one in. Even if your circumstances are not the best, I hope that there is still something, even something very small, for which you are able to show your gratitude.

Gratitude is the best attitude. It really is. However, like all things in life being grateful is a choice. We can choose to show gratitude and take a more positive outlook on things or we can choose to continue to focus on the negative. Of course, the simple act of being grateful will not make the bad things we are facing go away, it just helps us to look at our lives a little differently. For some, showing gratitude is not an easy task at all. If you live in darkness it is difficult to see the light never mind try to grasp onto something that you are thankful for. However, I believe the end results will be worth the effort. Everything important in life takes work. Start off with coming up with one thing you are grateful for in your life right now. We are only guaranteed the time we have today. Worry about tomorrow, when it comes. 

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To help inspire you down the path of thankfulness, I invite you to go and check out, not only, the wonderful creations some members of my Design Team had the opportunity to create over on the Path of Positivity (click HERE for the midway) but also some of the great entries into this month's challenge (click HERE for the challenge).  I also invite you to come over and enter a project yourself, if you haven't already. 

To further inspire you, I've also offered a free motivational quote on gratitude for you to download as well.  For those of you who have been with me from almost the start, it will be familiar.  However, there are a lot of new faces over here since then and given the importance of its message, it bears repeating.  If you would like to see the sentiment click HERE and scroll down.

Have a wonderful week everyone.  May you always find something to be grateful for.

Until next time,