Are You Truly Grateful?

Why do we expect to receive more when we have very little appreciation for what we already have?

-A new car? But you haven't serviced the one you have in how long?

-A new home? But how often do you perform maintenance, organize, declutter?

-A new job? But are you thankful for the current one? Or do you spend the whole day complaining and watching the clock?

-More friends? But do you talk bad and complain about the ones you have?

And in all of these areas, do we ever feel appreciative, even if things are not the way we ultimately want them to be?

Paying bills can be one of the most frustrating tasks ever. But I have learned to be thankful while doing it. Thankful for the fact that I actually have the money to pay the bills. I used to approach it with a bad attiude, an attitude of lack. And because of this attitude, it was never an enjoyable experience. I often found myself having to stretch money or cut back on things. Once I changed the way I perceived money, it changed my whole outlook on bill paying time. With each bill, I am thankful for having the ability to pay and pay on time. I believe in my heart that money is flowing to me freely and that I will always be able to pay easily and still have the things that I want. I am no longer frustrated at bill paying time. It has gotten to be a much easier process, fun even. I find that more and more, there are even less bills to pay. And most important, I have found if I can be thankful when I am giving my money away, I can be thankful in other areas of my life as well.

In essence, when we change our attitude, take care of the things and people in our lives (our responsibilities), and genuinely appreciate our current circumstances rather than complaining constantly and focusing on what we don't have, we are eventually blessed with better. Obtaining things like a new car, or home, or even better relationships, begins with an appreciation of what we already have.

Sometimes we have to be grateful for very little in order to receive much more. May seem weird and even a little backwards, but in the end, I know without a doubt, it actually works.