All Things Inspired

Be thankful for the bad times, for they make us appreciate the good times!

Having an attitude of gratitude is about expressing thankfulness and appreciation for all things in your life, both big and small, good and bad. Be thankful for the bad times, for they make us appreciate the good times. If life has taught us anything, we will always have challenges and tests of character, moments to shine and moments to fail. But in giving thanks for everything that happens to you, both good and bad, we know that with every step forward we learn and grow from experience and should appreciate the things we have and be thankful for the lessons learned. This time of year, we celebrate Thanksgiving, a celebration of our blessings of the past year. But is this the only time of year that we should reflect on our blessing and be thankful and express gratitude?

Author Roy T. Bennett said, "Be thankful for everything that happens in your life; for it's all an experience." Good advice to live by, however, think about how incredibly hard that is to do. Considering that adversity strikes all of us at times, having an attitude of gratitude can be challenging when something bad happens to you. It's not as if you sing out in thankful praise for the misfortune you just experienced.

I recall a time I had a flat tire while running late to an appointment. I also recall another time when bringing my wife and our first new born son home from the hospital on a 100-degree July day only to discover that our air conditioner quit working just after I left the house. I don't recall singing out in praises of gratitude at these times. Oh, I sang out words, but they weren't anything close to gratitude.

But think for a moment how much of a positive impact we could have on other people around us, as well as ourselves if we could learn to practice having an attitude of gratitude in these times. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy once outlined how to practice an attitude of gratitude by saying that an attitude of gratitude causes you to be more sensitive and aware of people around you. You should always be looking for ways to make people feel important and valuable. Tracy said you can do this by practicing the 4 A's. Here they are:

Appreciation - say thank you, tell people that you appreciate them.
Approval - give praise of other's accomplishments.
Admiration - tell someone what you admire about them.
Attention - listen patiently and thoughtfully to others without interrupting.

Gratitude can transform any situation. The more you have an attitude of gratitude, the more energy you move from negative to positive. But to do so, you must first practice having this attitude. You must focus your energy on truly being grateful for the things in your life, both the good and the bad. It's about appreciating what you have instead of what you lack.

To help you focus and begin practicing an attitude of gratitude, I'd like you to examine some of these thought provoking questions around gratitude...

What caused you to laugh recently?
What things have been going well for you recently?
What is something that has given you comfort recently?
Have you witnessed a random act of kindness recently? What was it?
What is one thing that you do well?
What is one thing that you would like to learn how to improve upon?
When was the last time you smiled brightly? What caused it?
What is the best advice you have received recently?
What is your greatest fear? (What can you learn from this that will make you more grateful?)
Celebrate the small victories in life. What was your last one?

Okay, good! How do you feel after answering those questions? Do you feel grateful for the stimulation the answers may have given you? Developing an attitude of gratitude takes time and practice. Review the 4 A's and ask yourself these questions periodically to keep your focus on being grateful for the experiences you've had in life. Do this and you will be on your way to having an attitude of gratitude.

Did you know there are benefits to being grateful? Watch for next week's article when we cover these benefits. Until then...

Be inspired! Inspire others!