Gratitude Will Change The World
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MMM Gratitude
Gratitude Creates The Attitude That Changes The World
Enter the preaching room today. I'm wondering where our mind and heart are spending their time...let's talk.
Are you grateful? I think of gratitude as "building" a nice beef stew. One of the important parts of a stew is the fact that it's not instant soup. It has to cook awhile. It stews. When all the ingredients are cooked together, the flavors blend into a delicious concoction. By itself, onions may taste too strong. Corn is just corn, and potatoes are just little white chunks. With some creative touches, the right temperature, seasoning, and some time, the stew is born. At our house, it's never cooked the same way twice. We think variety is the spice of life, and the changing stew is devoured.
If we nurture the development of gratitude in the same way we do our stew, we'll have an abundance of satisfaction, even in the darkest of times.
We have so much, and today, I'm going to step out on a limb and say, just that one simple feeling and action, because I believe it is both, will cause a re-action of positive change. A change that will impact your life, the life of those you love, and even the world. It sounds simple, yet to feel gratitude as a habit, frequently enough to cause "change," is not as easy as it sounds.
It IS doable. I believe it's a trait we need to add to our character if we are to stay strong as we face today's difficult challenges.
Our economy, our government, our relationships both personal and as a country, are in peril. Discouragement hits us between the eyes everyday, and many times during the day. We're bombarded with corruption, we're losing trust and faith in the things that have kept us bonded. I see it , I feel it, I know we can do something about it. The pressure for change has arrived. Obama speaks of it, we scream for it, McCain, well, let's not go there.
In my early childhood, as I tried so hard to help my mother cope with her blindness, we learned to look for things to be happy about. It became easier and even a habit. Bitterness dissolved as gratitude entered. We coped.
In the lives of foster kids, I've seen gratitude create miraculous changes in tragic situations. Once we exercise the "muscle" of "I'm thankful" it strengthens. Kids come into care having witnessed or experienced unspeakable abuse, horrible domestic violence or other abusive situations.
They have little experience with gratitude, trust, safety. By providing safety first, and introducing them a little at a time to positive environments where they can make choices and just "feel good," they begin to learn gratitude. It is a concept that is taught, you can not assume it will land in their mind automatically. They are full of extremes.
I observed children and families become happy and have hope for the future. They didn't master the feeling of gratitude by any means, but they were introduced.
I've seen gratitude improve relationships between spouses. When we stop thinking of "me me me," and become aware of all the reasons we love our partner, the irritations can melt away. Lose the control, become grateful, you'll find what you're seeking.
I've witness gratitude heal grief, and this is a tough one. Loss hurts forever and feels unbearable. It suffocates and steals our joy. Gratitude overpowers the pain. Can you imagine it's healing powers if we were to master the concept of thankfulness?
I'm writing a series of articles on changing the world with gratitude, I hope you'll travel this road with me.
Are you ready to change your world? I am Marisue, and I write.
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Hi talented!! thank you for your encouraging words. We have to fight the bad, mad, sad, with effort. The media and gloom - the tool of discouragement is powerful. I'm not trying to preach, but I know we can make our own life better by just looking at what we've got, not what we want. I'm talking to me as much as anyone. =) come back soon and check out the link buried in the piece, I'll be writing "101 ways Gratitude Changes the World" there.
Such a beautiful Hub.... The sentiment is sincere and heard loud and clear. The Youtube video is gorgeous. Thank You :)
summer10, thank you for reading!! I'm so glad you stopped by and I hope you'll visit the links in the hub -- I'm beginning a collection of 101 ways gratitude can change the world...I hope you'll like it!!
Marisue,
I often recommend that people ask and answer four questions each and every day. If they do this honestly and sincerely, it will change their lives.
The questions are:
What am I grateful for today?
What do I praise myself for today?
What am I aware of that has the potential to drain my energy?
What specific action do I plan to take today to move me toward my goals?
The reason behind the questions. We must have an attitude of gratitude if we want to be successful in life. I ask people to list 5 to 6 things each day that they are grateful for. What we focus on tends to expand in our lives. If we focus on the things we have to be grateful for, those things will expand.
We all do a fairly good job of kicking ourselves. We need to praise ourselves for all the good that we do. And the more we are conscious of the good we do, the more good we will do.
We need to be aware of the things that drain our energy. Anger, resentment, jealousy - just to name a few - can really drain our energy. We need to eliminate or diminish the control these things have over our lives.
And we need to focus on specific things we can do each and every day to move us toward our goals. We need the mindset of taking action today, not tomorrow.
You have picked a wonderful topic to "preach" about. If you need a soapbox, let me know.
Thank you John! I am working in short segments each day, on a collection I'll turn into a short book about the 101 ways Gratitude Can Change the World...certainly our own world....and then THE world...I appreciate your input and believe this is the heart of what's wrong with us as we respond to our current life's situation. It's not a new concept, just one that's been shelved for awhile. In my other stories, as I spoke about the farm, or my mother's blindness, we were stronger because we were busy taking care of the important things...less tv, more living. Less complaining and more solutions and acceptance.
More joy because we helped ourselves and others. We asked for less, but had more.
We can get there again. =)))
And I think more and more people are feeling this too/// At least the people I have been around in the last few years...As time slips away and we realize we won't be here forever...we become more appreciative of the very things that truly make us happy..the things that come from the heart..the love we have for other's and ourselves...because if you don't love yourself...you can't love anyone else...O so I've heard.
Great Hub my dear as always..God be with you...:o) G-Ma Hugs
Thanks for writing Marisue and sharing your thoughts, ideas, days, nights, dreams, beliefs and everything in between. You are an amazing writer and I look forward to reading the rest of the series on changing the world with gratitude.
wow Dottie1 -- I thank you for those words. How did you know I needed that at this moment, I'm GRATEFUL, to you!! as always! Stay tuned for more!@!
Hi g-ma...i'm so glad you read and got something from it...I think we can all do better in the gratitude department...shop around even...LOL well, it's not an easy life for anyone. But, there is more going our way than we might first think. =) thanks for reading, and come back soooooon! =)
I'm thinking of starting a "Gratitude List" where like minded people send each other (everyone on the list) a list of the 10 or more things they're grateful for each day. That way, we'd get to actually begin the day by saying thanks, and then also read other's lists of things to be grateful for. It could be just simple things, like toast in the morning, or big things, like electricity that works everyday, everytime we turn on the switch, good schools, free TV, etc. What do you think?
I’m not sure whether I would call it grateful, it could also be a feeling of pride because of the things I have accomplished and most likely it’s a mixture - or should I say stew? – of gratitude, pride and other positive feelings. Which word you want to use is irrelevant, it’s the notion and feelings that count. It’s the attitude towards life that will change the world, your world at least.
Inspiring hub, Marisue
More years than I care to remember, when I was 15, a Gentleman, whom I had a lot of faith and respect in became a Mentor to me. This man taught me a lot about life, and perhaps managed to instill a little wisdom? He told, showed and tutored me in Passion and treating it with perspective as words and their meaning. His most remembered comment: - “If you want to impress people, show them a spark of Passion and pour into a mix perspective.” A short ago time my Mentor died at the age of 94. He sent me a birthday card for my 70th year. I will remember Allan with Gratitude.
This is just some of the sentences he gave me as a young man.
‘When you talk with and show Passion, you become a power figure bringing confidence and knowledge to the table with you and people will stop to listen to you intently.’
‘Do it properly the first time, but do it with Passion.'
Your people will remember you with gratitude, because you were there when you were needed.
Thank you
Do it Tom!! A great idea....if the world needs it, it's now!! I'm doing a series on it and it just might end up being a HOW TO FEEL GOOD BOOK. !! =)
Mr. Marm, I agree, passion is part of living with purpose and gratitude...I think being grateful is an awareness of good and when you have it, it should cause the passion!! very good comments and I love the quotes!! what a wise mentor you had and now you are carrying on! that is the best way to honor him! =))
Ananta65 thank you for lending wisdom to this piece, whatever the motivation for people to feel good about themselves and if it carries over as to how they treat others, the world is better. thanks so much for adding your comments!!=))
Gratitude is an attitude...I like that. This is very sound advice; a great way to live. I found you on google. Nice article. I'll be back.
Hi Marisue, it is powerful -the attitude of gratitude. I've watched how lives have been changed when people chose to be grateful instead of complain. I've watched how I've changed as I became more aware of the beauty of life rather than the pain. Thank you for this heartwarming hub. I've also written a hub on 101 things to be grateful for. That helped me a lot. Writing it down and proclaiming it to the world will remind us that we can change the world into a better one. Thanks again for sharing your heart! God bless you... love and light,
Michelle
Hi ripplemaker, thank you, for truly being a ripple of optimism and joy that extends far from the source, touches many who so desparately need that kind of voice in their lives...=)) thank you so much for your comments.
talented_ink 3 years ago
From reading your hubs, it's easy to see the positive attitude you have and I hope you never lose it. Nuturing gratitude like you'd cook a stew? Genius! There is so much for people to be thankful for if only they look around and recognize them.