Is Gratitude Part Of Your DNA?

Dissatisfaction, discontentment & ungratefulness are running rampant in our world today.  The media is consumed with painting a picture of the perfect person, (with the perfect body and the perfect personality), having the perfect family, driving the perfect car, living in the perfect house, and working in the perfect job.

When you compare yourself to all that, it is almost impossible not to become discouraged.

I will have to say, that growing up, I was one of the most ungrateful people on earth. While my single parent mom, worked her fingers to the bones trying to make sure my brother and I were provided for and happy, I was never satisfied. No matter what the accomplishment, I was always striving for more. And I constantly blamed others for my unhappiness.

After stressing and wearing myself out, I finally gave up trying. I realized God really did love me just the way I was. I didn't have to lose one more pound or accomplish one more thing. He loves me simply because He loves me. He also loves all those others around me -- no matter what they did or didn't do.

A friend of mine always said, "Thankfulness builds a reservoir of contentment.”

A reservoir is a natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored for use, especially water for supplying a community, irrigating land, furnishing power. A place where anything is collected or accumulated in great amount.

So think about it. As you begin to thank God and others for every little thing you can think of, contentment starts accumulating. Your contentment reservoir begins filling up. It's contentment that begins powering your life. Your mind is at ease. Striving and depression stop. Peace, satisfaction and fulfillment come. Sounds pretty good, huh?
Believe me -- if I can do it, so can you!

Here are the 6 Steps to Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude.

1.    Believe and receive the unconditional love God has for you.

2.    Stop comparing yourself to others. God made you unique and special.

3.    Stop striving and pushing yourself and others.
4.    Shift your focus off the disappointments or what you don't have.
5.    Make a list and on purpose focus on things you can be thankful for.
6.    Start thanking God and others every day.

• Yep that means out loud. Every day. Even multiple times throughout the day.
• Don't bring up the negative. Just say, "Thank you for ___________.

This will be hard at first.  Because you are programmed to see the negative or what you don't have, you will have to reboot and reprogram.

You may have to work at finding things to be thankful for.  At first it may hard to think of anything. Eventually, everywhere you look, you will see that you are surrounded by people & things to be grateful for.

The same thing will happen to you that happened to me.  Gratefulness and gratitude will become a core value & part of your DNA.

 Think About It

•  What are the things you can be thankful for?

o   Are you healthy? If not is there a part of your body that doesn't hurt? For sure you are breathing. Start there.

o   Is the sun shining? Or is rain watering the ground. Can you breathe the fresh air?

o   What is something you can be thankful for about those around you? Start with one thing, and then add to your list.

Now Do Something About It

•  Follow the 6 Steps to Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude.

Philippians 4:6-9 (MSG)

[6-7] Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. [8-9] Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious---the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.