Yesterday, as I was approaching the door to my place of
work, I happened to encounter an older gentleman. I said my usual “Hi! How are
you?” to him as he held the door for me. He responded, “Hello! I am well! It is
a GREAT day to be alive! Praise the Lord!” I couldn’t help but smile and say, “Yes,
it is!” His enthusiasm and apparent zest for life was contagious. I don’t know
him. I don’t know his story. But it was obvious that he was grateful for the
gift of another day.
I must admit that I was not feeling particularly grateful
before I spoke with him. My schedule for the day had been upended and I was
really just trying to survive. That short interaction completely turned my day
around! All of my frustrations seemed so small and insignificant as I began to
think about the blessing of having another day to live.
Gratitude is a powerful force. It awakens our hearts to beauty and abundance. It reminds us that
we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. Gratitude keeps us from
taking our own lives for granted and motivates us to help others.
Being thankful is a
conscious decision. It requires mindful living, an ongoing awareness of the
world around us. We can cultivate this by choosing to count our blessings every
day. When we focus on what we do have, our perspective begins to change. We can
look beyond our circumstances and see abundance rather than lack.
An attitude of gratitude. A thankful heart. It
really is a GREAT day to be alive!
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