Living an Attitude of Gratitude
Last week, we in America celebrated a day of Thanksgiving. Theoretically, its purpose was to take a m0oment to reflect on all the good in our lives, to count all our blessings, both individually and as American citizens, and then to give thanks in our own way to whatever Higher Power we recognize. Most of us do take that moment and feel grateful, at least on Thanksgiving Thursday. Come Friday, however, and the story changes.
Black Friday, named so because retailers finally turn a profit from that day till New Years, finds early bird shoppers waiting in lines to grab the bargains. They push and shove whoever gets in their way in the rush to capture the prize of the moment, the television marked down $20, or the last Play Station 2 game, or whatever the latest craze or trend may be. What happened to the gratefulness of the day before? What happened to the feeling of thanksgiving that filled the heart, brought a tear to the eye, and prompted the prayer of thanks that wafted skyward? I’ll tell you where-lost in the greed of the marketing, advertising, public relations, media frenzy that the Christmas/holiday shopping season has become.
Please don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas and all the other holidays that occur this time of year. My family feels it has performed miracles if they can keep my decorations in the closet until the day after Thanksgiving. (With my mother, it was a lost cause. Halloween was her “go” signal!) I love the carols and the decorations and the warm glow I get from getting the perfect gift for those on my list. But would I venture out of the house on Black Friday? Only if forced!
The holidays, be it Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwaanza, have a deeper meaning. The holidays are a time to come together as a family, as a community, and as a nation, to celebrate the hope of world peace, the love of family members for one another. And are we not all the family of mankind? Are we all not one race, the human race?
I find it difficult to see the difference in people from Thanksgiving Day to the next. It is perhaps commendable to pause on that one day a year to recognize and give thanks for all that we are blessed to have in our lives, home, friends, and families. But that one day a year is not nearly enough to look at all that we have and to feel truly grateful. It takes much more to be a truly grateful person. It takes living each day in an attitude of gratitude.
Morning dawns and the clock’s shrill tone wakes you from the best dream in months. Do you stretch, smile and think, “Good morning, God!” Or do you grouse and mutter and think to yourself, “Good god, morning!” What a difference the order of words makes in those two sentences. One acknowledges the beginning of another beautiful day created by God and presented to us to enjoy and recognizes the positive in the world. The other allows the negativity that is always trying to affect us to immediately enter in and destroy the hope of peace of mind and a positive frame of mind.
Gratitude is the basis of the abundance that is our God given right. It is the way that our requests for abundance are turned into affirmations that reflect our knowing that we are always provided for in every way. Many people please with God for things they want, some even attempting to make bargains and negotiations with the Creator.
“God, if you let me win the Lotto (get the promotion, lose twenty pounds, etc.), I promise to give up smoking (study the Bible every night, make my bed, pay more attention to my wife, etc.)”. The problem is that God does not make deals. He/She gives freely and withholds nothing from us, his/her beloved children. Would you withhold food from your child? Of course not!
The trick about asking in order to receive is to ask with the inner knowing that your request has already been granted. Picture that which you want as already in your possession and affirm in your prayer (affirmation) that it is already a concrete fact. Thus a prayer for a new job might change from, “Please give me the job I interviewed for yesterday. I need this job so badly and I don’t know what I will do if I don’t get hired” to, “The divine right job for me now manifests in my life with the perfect salary and working conditions.” You are still asking for the right job but you are not specifying which job. And the most important change is that you have eliminated the fear part of the first request and allow Spirit to place you in the job that is perfectly suited to you and the lessons which you have chosen for this lifetime.
An attitude of gratitude is necessary in order to have our lives blessed even more. Would you, as a parent, give more to a child who does not express gratitude and acknowledge that he has received a gift? You might think long and hard about it. As I said earlier, God does not withhold from us, but the abundance that we receive is proportionate to our sense of gratitude and our sense of knowing that we are at all times provided everything we need and desire.
So the next time you have a moment of doubt, a pity party, or feel that you will never receive that which you desire, imagine yourself possessing your desire and express your gratitude for it, now. An attitude of gratitude hastens the fulfillment of your request.
