Thanksgiving season is a wonderful time of year to think about gratitude, but it should really extend into the whole year, since gratefulness can help you live a more positive and fulfilling life. Yes, gratitude is a powerful emotion and it can change your outlook on life! When we focus on good things in life instead of bad things, we will have a great impact on the world around us. In this post, we’ll discuss this topic in detail.
What is Gratitude, Really?
An attitude of gratefulness begins in the heart. Saying “thank you” is good, but not enough. It’s essential to express gratitude to someone who has done something nice for you. You can write a Thank You note and put it in the mail or leave it on the desk of a co-worker. You may never know how much this encourages someone!
Do not forget or take family members for granted. We should also make efforts to care for neighbors and take the time to help others through trials and especially temptations. James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance empower your soul so that you may be complete, not lacking anything.”
In addition, we need to take time to pause and pray in order to extend our gratitude to God. It is so easy to hustle and bustle around every day and not realize the brevity of time! We can “blink” and our children are grown up and many of our loved ones are gone. 2 Corinthians 4:16 states that “though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God.” Get up each day and count your blessings one by one. Meditate on what you have and not what you do not have. Over time, you’ll be surprised at the change in your heart!
Last but not least…gratitude produces JOY. What better way to begin the holiday season than with a joyful heart. This means we must purge our souls daily of jealousy, hard feelings, hate and fake kindness. Kindness must be lived with sincerity. Joy will come about when we purge our hearts of anything that might be standing in the way of experiencing joy. Get right and get tight with God. Ask him to reveal anything that might be a “blessing blocker” in your life.
Psalm 37:3-4 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good: dwell in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
In conclusion, take a few minutes at the table on Thanksgiving Day to practice gratitude, pray and pause. May God richly bless you and your families this Thanksgiving Week!
Etiquette and Manners Begin with Gratitude
Lisa Burdette is a Dallas, Texas etiquette expert. She offers private and group etiquette classes for children, college students and adults. The Dallas School of Etiquette also offers classes to assist with interview skills, afternoon tea prep, business etiquette and more.
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