Attitude of Gratitude

I know I have talked about this before, and I will continue to talk about it, learning to be grateful. We live in a society today that is more selfish, self absorbed, narcissistic, extreme selfishness, coveting what others have, constantly comparing ourselves to others in all things, how dare someone, I want, I never have enough....... The list just goes on and on and one. It is time to end this. It has to end with ourselves. To have a change, we need to make a change in ourselves.

How are we going to do this, simple, change our attitudes. We tend to think solutions need to be complicated, complex, we think the simple solution is not the right one, because it is too simple. In the end, simplicity usually is the right path. Generally speaking, it is the hardest path though and I think this is why we poo poo it and do not want to take the path of simplicity. We do not like things to be hard.

How do we change our attitude?
Here are a few things to try:

• Keep a grateful journal, every day take a few minutes to write down at least three things you are grateful for.
• Put your technology gadgets away and have interactions with the people in your life, be present to them, not your phone or whatever it is. 
• When you think of something negative, towards yourself, others, see something, combat this with three positive things.
• Instead of automatically looking for the bad in someone, try to see the good first. Treat them with the same respect, honor, and good will you want to be treated with. You know the "Golden Rule" do unto others as you would have done unto you. Good way to treat people.
• Stop watching the news all the time, keep up with what is going on, but also what is good that is going on in the world, in your community, around you. If you cannot find something, then you start something good.
• Remember, it does not have to be some big grand, instant fame, viral pictures, video or anything like that to make a difference, to impact someone else's life in a positive way and yours. It can be as simple as genuinely talking to a worker in a grocery store, coffee shop, where you are. Most of these workers will tell you they are not treated like a human, having someone talk with them, makes their day. Go to a nursing home or assisted living and talk with the residence. So many of them have no one that comes and visits them. They have a story to tell and would love to tell it.        
• See someone struggling, stop and help them.
• Strive to do one thing for someone you love everyday that will make them happy. 

I remember hearing this story a long time ago and it has stuck with me ever since. There was a man walking along the beach one morning and in the distance he saw a little boy playing. When he came closer to the boy, the man realized he was picking up the starfish that had washed up on shore with the tide and throwing them back out into the ocean. The man looked at the boy and said him, you cannot help all these starfish. There is no possible way you can save all of them. The young boy looked up at the man as he threw another starfish back into the ocean and said, I helped him. I made a difference in that one's life.

Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.

God bless,

Jenn