Thankfulness

Gratitude has been something I’ve been told to cultivate in my life. I’ve been told to have an attitude of gratitude. That makes it sound like something that I can make happen in my life. I don’t think of emotions that way. So is having the emotion of thankfulness the same as having an attitude of gratitude? I’m not sure. Maybe it is something that I can think my way into feeling.

I know that when I concentrate on the things I’m thankful for, I feel more thankful. And that feeling can last for a while depending on what else is happening in my life. One definition of thankfulness is appreciation. If I’m able to appreciate the things I have, the people I know, and/or the things happening in my life I am much more likely to be thankful. So I try on a regular basis to appreciate the good things in my life.

To appreciate something I have to acknowledge it and recognize it as having value. That takes some effort. So part of feeling thankfulness is acknowledging and recognizing the good things in my life. Some of the things I acknowledge as good in my life are the members of my family: my husband, my son and my daughter. Other people are good things in my life, too, like my sister and brothers. Also, I have many friends I am able to appreciate for their unique contributions to my life and for just being themselves.

There are intangible things I appreciate in my life, too. Many of these things I take for granted until they are not there. My relative good health is one of these things. Sure, I have my chronic illnesses like diabetes, but we live in a time when there are many means for controlling it and managing it. I manage it quite well with the help of my doctors. Things could be a lot worse.

Another intangible in my life I appreciate is God’s love for me. Maybe this is the most important thing I can be thankful for in my life. Where all else may fail, God’s love is steadfast and ever-present. When I recognize God’s love for me, I truly feel thankfulness. Along these same lines I can appreciate God’s forgiveness for my sins. Even the little things in my life that I do without thinking sometimes require forgiveness. And I have that from God. For that I am truly thankful.

By appreciating, acknowledging, and recognizing all the good in my life I cannot deny the feeling of thankfulness that flows. The feeling of thankfulness comes out of thinking about the good things in my life. The feeling of thankfulness comes from having an attitude of gratitude. Thankfulness is an emotion I can choose to develop. And I can feel this positive emotion any time I choose to focus on the things for which I am grateful.