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Articles
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| Gratitude - If You Want More Out of Life, First Be Thankful For What You Have |
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admin writes, "When was the last time that you stopped to truly appreciate what you have in your life. Advertising and the media often trains us to focus on what we do not have in our lives."
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When was the last time that you stopped to truly appreciate what you have in your life. Advertising and the media often trains us to focus on what we do not have in our lives. You want a bigger house, new car, a holiday overseas, or the latest electronic gadgetry. You want to work less and earn more. Please do not get more wrong, there is nothing wrong with any of these aspirations. However, do not forget all of the wonderful things that you have around you already. The key to getting more out of life is to give thanks for what you already have. Life will give you more when you show appreciation for what you already have.
Are you not happy? Frustrated? Feel like you are not getting as much out of life as you should be? Stop and give thanks for what you already have. My life changed dramatically when I included gratitude as one of my key values. Every day I stop and give thanks for all the wonderful things that I have in my life. This was not easy to begin with. As human beings we tend to focus more on what we do not have and what we want more of, rather than focus on what we already have. This tends to create a sense of lacking, and this is not a positive way to create more in your life.
So, what do you have around you that you should be thankful for. When I started to include gratitude in my life I started every morning by saying thanks for three wonderful things that I have in my life. Sometimes it was hard to think of three. When I was facing a challenge or a difficult situation it was much easier to focus on this rather than on something to be thankful for. Persistence is the key. Once you find three things then it becomes easier to find others. Do not fall into the trap of finding the same three things every day. And you do not always have to find big things.
Over time you will find many, many things to be grateful for in your life. I am grateful for my wonderful wife, my two great kids, the roof over my head, being able to share my writing with you, the roof over my head, that I do not wake up hungry in the morning, that I live in a peaceful country, that I have a job to go to where I can help people, that the sky is blue outside, just to name a few. Why would I be thankful for not waking up hungry? It would be easy to take that for granted. But, remember that somewhere in the world people are waking up hungry.
Are you going through a tough time in your life? Challenges that seem to be impossible to overcome? It is easy to get bogged down on these and focus on the challenge. Be grateful for the challenge. A wise man once said that Life only brings to us the challenges that we are able to overcome. Be grateful for the challenge. A challenge is just life giving you an opportunity to grow. This happens all the time in nature. When a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, it is the struggle to emerge that helps the butterfly to forms its wings and fly. If you help the butterfly from the cocoon it will never fly. The challenge you are facing is your opportunity to grow and fly.
So, what three things are you grateful for in your life today. Stop right now and write them down. Focus on these three things just for a minute and appreciate them fully. If it is someone special in your life send them a short note or go and tell them how special they are to you. Being grateful is not about wanting less out of life. Being grateful is about truly appreciating what you already have. And, when you truly appreciate what you already have, life will open up and share more with you.
Looking for inspiration? Want more out of life? My wife, Bronwen and I are the founders of http://www.art4inspiration.com Our mission is to help people get more out of their lives by inspiring them through beautiful art. Part of your success in life is the people and atmosphere that you create around. Our artwork helps you to create an empowering atmosphere. They also make wonderful, unique gifts for the special people in your life. Check out our website at http://www.art4inspiration.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=SK_Hall
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Posted on Aug 15, 2008 18:45pm.
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