Living in Abundance (Part 3): ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

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“Joy comes to us in moments–ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary.” – Brene Brown 

The fine line between what is “enough” and “not enough” depends solely on our willingness to practice GRATITUDE. Nothing else. Neither our circumstances, possessions, nor amount of recognition received from others can replace the power of gratitude. As I’ve stressed many times before: this is the main determinant of whether we live in ‘abundance’ or ‘lack’.

Life is often fast-paced, incessantly absorbed with climbing the ladder of success. From goal A we move on to goal B, and from goal B we move on to goal C. We hardly ever stop. And unfortunately, acknowledging that something is “enough” is mistakenly labelled by society as succumbing to “mediocrity”. We’re told to constantly aim for more, otherwise we’ll miss out on living the “fullness” of life.

But does “never enough” really sound like the “fullness of life” to you? Seriously. Answer the question. Will this honestly make you happy?

There is nothing wrong with aiming high or working towards goals. But there has absolutely got to be such thing as “enough”.

COUNT YOUR “ENOUGH’S” …

To be happy is to dare. So dare to count your “enough’s”. Take this moment right now to release yourself from the frantic pace of life and just be grateful. What is there to be grateful for?

• The ‘Big’ Momentous Things: 
  • For goals you achieved that you never thought were possible. For choosing courage instead of fear. For changing someone else’s life and allowing them to change yours. For anniversaries, milestones, graduations. For having an education and a chance for a good life.
• The ‘Small’ Simple Things:
  • For the sunshine that emerges after a long streak of rain. For miraculously never going hungry, even if your meals consist of Kraft Dinner and instant noodles. For the good laughs shared with a friend that no one else will understand.
• The People in Your Life:
  • For the stranger who gives you a smile. For the best friend who never leaves your side. For the family members who never fail to love, forgive, and support you. For the boyfriend/girlfriend who accepts you for exactly who you are.
• The Opportunities in Your Life:
  • For the job that spontaneously presents itself to you. For the chance to live out your dreams. For the opportunity to try something new or meet new people. For the opportunity to utilize your talents for the service of others.
• The Trials, Heartbreaks, and Suffering:
  • For the hardships that strengthen your character and resilience, bring clarity to your life’s direction, teach you what you’re not willing to settle for, show you who you can depend on, allow you to rebuild yourself in a new way, and ultimately make you the person you are now.
• God:
  • For the One who provides you incomprehensible love, forgives you no matter how badly you’ve screwed up, gives you purpose and a reason to live, carries you through your trials, dies for you so that you can have eternal life, and ultimately blesses you with all the other things listed above.

THE CHALLENGE …

We don’t have to limit gratitude to Thanksgiving. Consider taking on the following challenges:

1. Keep a Gratitude Diary (or even a scrap of paper to record stuff on). Record at least 3 things you are grateful for each day. You’ll be surprised much happier you’ll be, and how much longer these lists will grow.
2. Express your Gratitude. Take the time to express your thankfulness. It can be through a letter, or a gift, or even through a smile or an act of service. Doesn’t matter. Anything that helps the other person feel loved and appreciated.

THE POINT … 

Gratitude is magic. It transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. It transforms “not enough” into “enough”, and “enough” into “more than enough”. It is summarized beautifully in the quote below.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” – Melody Beattie

WHERE ‘YOU’ COME IN …
What are you grateful for? Feel free to share in the comment box below, or tweet me @realtalkblogs! Other comments are also always welcome, and feel free to share this blog =) Happy Thanksgiving!