Letter To My Children - Being Grateful

Sometimes in life we find ourselves forgetting or neglecting to see how much we have to be grateful for. It's easy to get down, angry and upset over what we feel we DON'T have in life. What is important to remember is you should always be thankful for what you DO have.

I am not saying, don't strive to have better. I am not condoning status quo. I am simply stating that being grateful for what you have starts with knowing what grateful means.

Being grateful simply means appreciating the good you have in your life. The blessings that you sometimes don't focus on. Looking right past all that is positive in your life instead focusing on the thought that you deserve more, better, bigger.

You do deserve it! You should have it. We should all  have what we want in life. Hard work, good thoughts, feeling from your heart and doing what you can to get there is what is necessary. However, life sometimes gets in the way of everything going as planned but that still doesn't mean you shouldn't be grateful for what you have!

Over the years, I  kept a Gratitude Journal. Unfortunately I didn't always keep it up but I love looking at it now. Every day I had to write 5 things that I was grateful for. Sometimes it was as simple as a good cup of coffee or waking up to a song I love. Other times, it was a compliment from a boss or friend.

Unfortunately in life some don't know how to be appreciative and grateful for the things they have. They weigh themselves down with feelings of inadequacy and longing for more.  They spend all their free time thinking about how they resent what others have or expect that others should be the reason for them to be grateful. If you can't be grateful everyday for what you DO have, you will spend many years, consumed with worrying about what you don't have.

DON'T

• Don't spend anytime thinking of what others have.
• Don't blame others for what you don't have.
• Don't expect that you should have because someone else does

DO

• Do what you can to be your best
• Do count your blessings everyday (even the smallest ones)
• Do reach out for help if you can't see the positives in your life. There is no reason to suffer alone! Everyone needs help once in a while.
• Do keep a gratitude journal when you need one. You will be surprised at how much you have going for you.

If nothing else remind yourself that gratitude cultivates positive thinking. Positive thinking leads to happiness and well being. Happiness and well being leads to empathy, energy and optimism.