Practicing Gratitude

grat·i·tude

ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/

noun

1. the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

 I was having one of those days a couple of days ago where I thought nothing was going right. It wasn't a terrible day, but it wasn't a good day either. Ever have those? I decided to take a walk to try and clear my head, but this only lead me to more despairing thoughts about how this wasn't going right or that wasn't going right. Finally, in an effort to just change my line of thinking I turned on an old sermon that my church pastor had given the congregation back in 2014. It was actually a series of sermons that were all about gratitude and giving back to those in need. 

As I let the words of the particular sermon in the series that I chose sink into my being I realized just how little I practice the act of gratitude. I have so much to be thankful for and yet I let myself fall into the trap of being jealous of all of the things the "rich" mom at the co-op has or I find myself yearning to be as put together as the mom who always looks great and is super skinny. Or perhaps I see a family of 5, 6, 7, or more kids and wish that I, too, had had the courage to have that many children during my child bearing years. 

Yes, there are days when I am thankful for the sky above and the mountains from every view point at my home. I am thankful for the ability to be a stay at home mom. I am thankful for my husband's job. But all too often I practice ingratitude. I want a nicer interior of my home or fancier furniture. I want to be able to get my hair done every 6 weeks and my nails too. I want to have a fabulous wardrobe and want my kids to do so as well. I want to have the house perfect all of the time and the kids on their best behavior all of the time. I want, I want, I want. 

When I am complaining about all that I want I have no opportunity to be truly thankful for all that I already have. In the sermon, the pastor the spoke about how kids have it right when they practice gratitude because they are grateful for the big and the small things in life. Often, I am only thankful for the big things I receive and only some of the time. As the sermon wound down I began mentally list all of the things that I am thankful for. That list was quite extensive by the time I finished my walk and I ended being in a much better mood when I was done. 

If I could just remember to practice gratitude every day it would help lift my mood exponentially. It would also keep my mood in a joyful tone because who isn't joyful after they have taken stock of all there is to be thankful for in life. I am trying to remember, too, that gratitude is a choice. I have to want to be thankful. Gratitude isn't something we are born with. Rather it is a practice that must be instilled consciously into our psyche. Living with gratitude makes life so much easier. It makes the hard parts of life that we all experience so much easier to carry. 

 I used to confuse gratitude with optimism. I now know the difference.  An optimist is hopeful and confident about the future. Someone who practices gratitude is thankful for what they have now.  There is a big difference between those two. An important difference. 

(Photo courtesy of: kerririchardson.com)

I have made a pact with myself that I am going to begin my day with a mental list of prayer to God thanking him for each thing I can think of to be thankful for. I cannot imagine a better way to begin my day.