A Life of Gratitude

When you are in a thankful mindset, you are less likely to use food to fulfill your emotional needs. The feeling of gratitude gives you a sense of wellbeing and contentment. Reminding yourself of the blessings of God will increase your thankfulness and can lead you to serve others.

Many circumstances in life will cause us to stop and thank God for His provision. Recently, I was on my way to work and saw a homeless man literally sleeping face-up on the sidewalk. I felt so awful for him, but at the same time, I was thanking God that I have a safe place to sleep.

We have so much to be thankful for beyond the material things that we have. It is good to just stop and think about the good things in our lives. Our relationships should be precious to us—family and friends.

Gratitude For Connecting With Others

Focusing on the connection with family and friends at events like graduations, holidays and reunions is one of the keys to not letting food be the main attraction for attending events. Talking to people and catching up on what they’re doing in life helps build stronger relationships.

Connections also help us to support and encourage one another. All throughout our lives, we invite others to help us celebrate our accomplishments, listen to us when we are disappointed, and mourn with us when loved ones pass.

At events, like school graduations, we want our family and friends in the audience cheering us on and celebrating our achievements. It doesn’t matter at what level—kindergarten on up to college, we desire to have family and friends acknowledge and encourage us.

Thank God for family and friends who support and love us for who we are.

Health and Strength

How many times do we take our health for granted until we get sick or something hurts?  We only have one body, let’s treat it with respect and love. Take in food that is good for the body, mind, and spirit. We are blessed with so many varieties of fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins that help our bodies thrive.

Exercise is also part of caring for our bodies. Stretching, walking, running and dancing are all ways to keep toned and fit. Find a routine of movement that you enjoy doing. If you enjoy it, you will most likely stick to it. Remember, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Let’s treat it with dignity and care.

A Walk of Thankfulness

For me, living a life of gratitude illuminates the simple things in life like: The feel of wind on my skin, the fall season, the sun rising and setting, the coolness of early mornings, an elderly couple walking hand and hand, a deep cleansing breath, time with God, the chirping of birds, the sun feeling like a blanket on my skin, a “love you” text from my daughter, laughter, a smile from my husband, assembling a puzzle, talking to my Mom, being with someone who needs to be encouraged.

We must hold precious those things that cannot be replaced.

Unfortunately, when we take for granted those things that we cannot replace, it affects how we treat them. When we find ourselves heading down that path, something inevitably happens that will force us to put things back into perspective. Events like someone dying, the loss of a job, a couple decides to divorce or a terrible accident are all events that can jolt us back into a thankful mindset.

Staying connected with family and friends and life around us will enable us to live a life of gratitude and completeness. It is a life well worth living.

I’m thankful for you! Leave a comment and share what you are grateful for.

Blessings to you.

Cynthia