In a time where it seems like each week you hear of someone new laid off or out of work, people are short on money and struggling to make ends meet. Stress is high, nerves are short and tempers are quick. It can be easy to forget the many things we have been blessed with and focus on what we do not have or fret about what we might lose.
There are two concepts that come to mind to help us be THANKFUL …
1) Prosperity. Be thankful for what we have. We are SO richly blessed here in the USA. We have more than we realize and what we feel we are “missing” is riches beyond what most ever dream about. We have exactly what we need. That is hard to remember when we are truly short on cash; however, it is true that often with some pre-planning we can avoid irresponsibility and neglect that might get us in compromising positions.
- Be a good steward of what you have. Review your spending and remove things that are unnecessary. Do not live beyond your means, making you financially strapped and unable to save for the rainy day.
- Be thankful. Instead of complaining about what you don’t have or whining about what you want, make a list of all the things you have been blessed with. You hear of people sick with cancer having a renewed perspective on life and what is important. In the hustle of life, it is materialism, more money, more toys, and better upgrades which draw us in with the elusive promise of…what? When it comes right down to it, the relationships with family and friends, the time we have together, our health, a clear understanding of why we are here, and the value of each day are what is truly important. Be thankful for what you have and focus on that.
2) Peace. In thinking about relationships and why we are here, the book I have been reading, The Anatomy of Peace, comes to mind. I am not a master of this either, but I seek to grow in my understanding of it. So often we have hearts that war against people and things, people and situations we don’t like, or that we think affect us in ways we don’t like. We judge and lash out – verbally or just in our minds – against these things. While we are doing this we create a lack of harmony for ourselves and others around us, making energy negative and judgments ramped. In our culture we are so used to doing this, we don’t even realize it. It is hard to summarize in a few short sentences, please read the book. It is excellent and you will be surprised how you might THINK you have a heart of peace, but how your heart wars against all kinds of things around you. When your heart is at peace, you can truly be thankful for all the things around you and you can embrace different situations with an openness to learn from them and grow in the moment.
I want to encourage you to stop complaining and fearing everything that is not what you want…rather, be thankful for the blessings you have been given – whatever your circumstance. Keep a heart of peace in all things – to allow you to maintain a thankful attitude. Your positive and thankful spirit is a blessing to you and others you touch.
