Being Thankful For What You Have

Being thankful for what you have is a powerful step to feeling better.

Overtime, we grow used to what we already have and we even start loosing appreciation for it as we keep ourselves immersed in a cycle of endless wants.

We can change our relationship with the reality around us by taking the time to feel grateful. Consider this fun exercise:

Next time that you clean the bathroom, wash the dishes or do any other household task that you consider a "have to do", change your point of view through being thankful for what you have.

Think of the benefits you get daily from each item as you deal with them.

For instance, if you were tidying up the living room: "I am thankful for this cup that allows me to drink my coffee"; "I am thankful for this jumper that keeps me warm".

You can easily transform a chore into an act of appreciation with the above exercise. Try it!

Dealing with wants

Being thankful for what you have is not a matter of being a conformist and standing every situation and person that comes into your life.

It is rather a matter of looking with eyes of appreciation to what already is, which may not have been there at all.

Whereas striving for more is what keeps most of us motivated, it can also be a trap and create suffering if our wants are not met.

We can instead look at our present reality with appreciation and find fulfillment in it before moving on to wanting something else.

There are many tools available to help us grow a feeling of appreciation daily. A very effective one is to keep a gratitude journal to keep track of our blessings and our attitude to life.

Thankful in all circumstances

One night I was walking home in London, thinking about a specific problem I had at the time. At the turn of the next corner, I spotted a homeless woman sitting on the floor, begging for money.

It called my attention that she had this bright, large smile on her face, and her eyes radiated life and appreciation whenever anybody dropped her a coin.

I observed her for a little while, enchanted by her positive attitude. I approached her and talked to her for some time.

Her name was Kirstie. Despite being homeless and not having access to most of the things I do, there she was, full of gratitude at the few coins she received, in awe of life like a child.

I wonder how many of us would have any time for problems or complaining if we kept an always grateful attitude like Kirstie.

>>> Did you know that being thankful for what you have is a great tool to attract what you want? Mike Dooley explains gratitude clearly in "Infinite Possibilities".

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