I think people lie to themselves when we think about if we’re a positive person or not. Like if you consider the glass half full or half empty. I think most people would not like to admit that they think its half empty. That goes for much of their perspective on life. It comes from being thankful, are you thankful you have something in your cup still, or just irritated it’s almost gone. Happiness has everything to do with your perspective on life. If your thankful and grateful and show gratitude in your life, then the happier you’ll be.
To be thankful with all of your being is to feel pleased and relieved, expressing gratitude and relief. Acknowledging all of the good even in bad situations. Making the choice to have control of your happiness and thoughts. It IS your choice what you think, and how you talk to yourself.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into and feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow”- Melody Beattie
What are you thankful for right at this very moment? What can you complain about right at this very moment? Most of the time it’s easier to think of something negative. That’s why I want to touch base on why it’s so important to be thankful. Learning how to become thankful is the first step in experiencing a life full of gratefulness and joy all year long.
I really feel that I need to talk about being thankful and what it means in our life because God has placed it on my heart to share with you. I am in no way an expert, but I do know that my whole life I’ve been given the gift of being thankful. Thinking positive thoughts has helped my life in so many ways, and I know that’s why I’ve never truly felt like I’m struggling in life. Its all about perspective. By making it apart of my life every day of the year, I have a deep sense of gratitude and joy I feel daily. It starts with being thankful and grateful, to experience gratitude.
Before you start thinking that I’ve just had an easy life, STOP! Lets not even go there! The difference between people letting their life circumstance’s control them and those who don’t and choose to overcome, is perspective. Many people could live your exact life and feel way happier than what you are, if they have the right perspective.
Now, to be thankful and feel grateful you have to make a conscious decision during the moment. It’s easy to be ungrateful, and to see the negative side to things because that’s what the devil wants. That leads us nowhere though, we will remain unhappy and not know why. It will lead us to continue searching for happiness. That search will never end. I’m serious.
Happiness is really just right in front of our face. It all starts with being thankful for what we have in any given situation. We have many emotions, and each emotion can be good. I’m not saying to not feel sad or mad or anything like that, because it’s important to feel. It’s important to understand and own the fact that these emotions are yours. It’s also important to understand how we think and talk to ourselves has a huge impact on what emotions we feel.
Let’s choose to be grateful, thankful and blessed!
When you open your eyes first thing in the morning and your first thought of having to go to work comes to mind, do you choose to be thankful? Or do you think- great I really don’t want to go to work…I hate work, I wish I could stay home today. I brought this up first actually, because these are my thoughts sometimes. I often struggle with this the most. But I know many of you do too. When I make the conscious choice in the morning to immediately change my thought process (weather I believe it or not) my day is better. Instead, I think of how thankful I am to have a job and have the opportunity to make money. I know if I did not have a job I would want a job. I am happy and thankful I have purpose and can go to work today. I imagine having a really great day at work. I feel like it’s going be a good day and full of purpose. See the difference?
There’s an endless amount of circumstances that we immediately choose to focus on something negative. A crying child, messy house, being sick, rude coworkers, flat tires, heck.. anything! What a hard life right? Why can’t your life be easier like other peoples lives. Why does everything seem so much more complicated for you? Perspective, that’s why!
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for Christ Jesus in you -Thessalonians 5:18
Obviously it’s okay to not be thankful about everything, we’re human and have real emotions. But when you’re so consumed with your busy hectic life, never having time for yourself, kids that never behave, not having enough money, etc- life will not become happier. The more you focus on what you think stresses you out, and that you have no control over it, the harder it gets. The list will always continue… so weather I’m talking about bratty kids or your life being to hectic 24/7, it still all starts with learning to be thankful in the moment, when you are not.
You will learn on your own when you should start purposely looking for the positive in your “negative”. Our lives will always be filled with chaos… but its how you look at it that makes it doable or not. It’s not going to take 1 day a week, it’s a lifetime commitment.
“It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy”. – Author unknown.
There is always something to be thankful for. There is always something to complain about. What do you want to focus on more? It should be a no brainer… do you want to be happier, or not?
My point is, see how easy it is to complain? So easy! It just flows naturally out of our mind and mouth with no effort. Thoughts continue all day long. We talk to ourselves more than we talk aloud. How do you talk to yourself? It’s sad really, because it’s a very easy and harmful mindset to get stuck in. Being able to change your thought process won’t happen over night. I promise you though, that if you just take time at least once a day to stop a negative thought right in it’s tracks, it will help. Say something positive and show thankfulness for something, and it will do something greater for you. Be grateful!
“Be thankful for what you have. Your life, no matter how bad you think it is, is someone else’s fairytale”- Wale Ayeni
We all want to be happy. In my previous blog about finding happiness I mentioned that happiness is in us, we just have to find it. That it does not exist in something else. We have the capability to access that feeling all day. Its not in something else.
So how do we access this happiness? By showing how thankful we are for everything we have in life. You’ve been paying attention, right? Lol. Love your life. Love your job, car, trees, yard, animals, belongings, hair, wrinkles, computer, everything. There will always be a positive in a negative situation, always! God over powers. God is hope, love, grace, faith, positive, good, and always here when need him!
I know most of us don’t like feeling bad, discouraged, unworthy, uncapable, etc. Good news, we are NOT. That is the devil implanting thoughts… so what are we going to do about it? Stop those thoughts right in their tracks, right NOW! The enemy is a LIAR- and we have something positive to say and something to be thankful for, always!
God is way to good to think we should do this all on our own. He is here for us anytime we need him. Just spend some time talking to him, and ask that you become more aware of things you should be thankful for. There is no way I want to stay in a negative mindset and choose to be unhappy. Screw that! Amen?
I choose happiness! I choose to think something good even when it’s “bad”. I choose to find the positive.
Its not just the bible that tells us to be thankful, science has also backed this. You are what you eat… and you are what you think. It really is that simple. That’s for a whole other post, but you’re smart enough to do your research if you don’t believe me.
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”- Hamlet
How true is that! Words are very powerful, and how we talk to ourselves is very powerful. Our thoughts just keep going and going, and this is why I say it’s not easy to change over night. You have to recognize when your thoughts are running towards destruction.
STOMP THEM OUT, and immediately (even if it seams silly because at first it kind of does) with all your power- reverse your thought and think something positive. I say being thankful for everything makes you happy, because that forces us to think something positive.
Some days you might just say the heck with it and not try at all. I do that too sometimes- we’re not perfect. Today I am trying, because today I want to be as happy as I can.
You can try putting it on paper, saying it out loud, typing it, or just thinking quietly. But you have to think it! I am learning this too. I learn everyday and I think it’s a life long practice, because it is so easy to slip back into negative thoughts and become unhappy.
I of course know that being thankful and thinking positive makes us happy- but like I’ve expressed before, its the implementing it part that is hard work. Recognize when your thoughts are being destructive. Stop them in their tracks. Think of things to be thankful for immediately. Imagine something positive and feel it coming true as best as you can. Pray to God to help you recognize when your thoughts are bringing you down, and pray that he can help guide you to become more positive and thankful.
Just try it. Why wouldn’t you? I’m trying to help you, and want more people to learn how to be happy, and to learn the power of positive thinking and being thankful. Remember, it takes time and practice for a lifetime. But you will see how it helps, I promise you!
Love you all, and stay happy!
The Lost and Found Seeds 