The Gift of Gratitude

GRATITUDE

Another great virtue is GRATITUDE.

Gratitude (thankfulness or appreciation) can be defined as an emotion one feels by acknowledging a certain gift or benefit they have received. These emotions can be expressed temporally(through a gift), physically(by a hug or kiss) or verbally(as a simple thank you).

We all need to develop not only an attitude of gratitude, but an attitude of sincere gratitude. A type of gratitude that when we expresses it, we truly mean it. 

Christmas is a season of gift giving, thus it should also be a season for us to express gratitude. Nevertheless, like I mentioned on a previous blog there is opposition in all things. Christmas also happens to be one of the biggest seasons of gratitudes antonym, INGRATITUDE. Just think, "how many gifts are people actually happy with?" I think it's safe to say that most items are purchased during the Christmas season, however I also feel one can say that it's also the number one season when most items are returned. 

How many times have you received some type of present under the tree or at your door and thought to yourself, and be honest; "Man, I wish it was something else, a different color, model, or brand. This isn't what I wanted or needed! Why couldn't they get me this? Oh great, another one of those crappy fruit cakes? It's the 2000's not the 60's, why would they give me this? No one likes fruit cakes anymore!" The list could go on and on. These are just a few examples that I've personally experienced or mumbled to myself. 

I'm still repenting for such thoughts. Shame on me, Shame on you, Shame on us!

Have you ever stopped to wonder (whether you liked, needed, or wanted a gift) how nice it is for someone to even be thinking of you?  What about thinking how much time may have been spent in thinking of or making your gift? How about the money earned and saved to purchase what was thought to be the perfect gift for you? 

How ungrateful can we be at times! Think of the millions of individuals who don't even get a single gift at Christmas, let alone ever, who would die just for someone to think of them. 


I will say to myself, "This Christmas and everyday after I will live with gratitude in my heart. I will be grateful for the gifts I receive and for those I don't receive. I will not go to awake nor sleep without thanking my Creator and God for each new day, for the air I breath, for eyes that I may see, ears that I can hear, a mind that I may think, and a body that I may act/do. I will be grateful for not only the light from the sun, but the darkness of the night. I will embrace not only the sunny days but the gloomy and rainy as well. I will appreciate the wonderful creations that nature has to offer, the flowers, the birds, the fish, the water, the land, and the beasts. Today, I will be mindful and show gratitude in everything I do and have, for the spirit of gratitude is a virtue that I must possess."

In Wallace D. Wattles book, Financial Success, shares a wonderful chapter on Gratitude that all should read. A few thoughts I liked from his passage about gratitude is, "....if your gratitude is strong and constant, the reaction in the formless substance will be strong and continuous. The movement of things you want will always be towards you...you can not exercise much power without gratitude, because it is gratitude that keeps you connected with power." He also says, "It is necessary, then, to cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude."


Melodie Beattie explains gratitude like this: 

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity....it turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."