One Mindset Shift
Now that we’ve eaten the pumpkin pie and declared what we’re most thankful for this year, it’s time we set ourselves up for success with what we have left for 2019. This one mindset shift is simple but difficult to remember. Gratitude. That’s right, that’s it. Gratitude. Thanksgiving is such a great opportunity to reflect on what we have but this is a posture we should take all the time, not just one day a year.
Gratitude is simple but powerful. It goes hand in hand with faith. Something I have struggled with before is remembering God in every moment of life. I would often think of Him in the morning or before bed but completely lost touch in the middle. I would get frustrated by traffic or would get burned out from having to work overtime at my job.
Putting gratitude in my attitude is something I have been actively working on and this one mindset shift has changed my life. Once I’m able to stop and remember that whatever is happening to me or around me is not just a coincidence, I am able to remember to be grateful. Everything that happens is orchestrated by God.
If I’m stuck in traffic, maybe God is saving me from something else. If I get put into a situation I didn’t predict, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It may have a different outcome that I didn’t think I needed but God did.
“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” 1 Timothy 4:4-5
God is always preparing us, looking out for us, planning ahead of us. In the times that I’ve been ungrateful, it’s because I thought I knew what outcome would be best.
Gratitude in every situation is having faith that God knows what’s best.
Having gratitude is actively putting faith in every piece, every situation in your life. Something may not be going the way you want it to but you don’t know the whole story.
But what about the situations that are impossible to be grateful for?
In the past few years, I’ve lost two of the most important people in my life. I have been far from grateful for these losses. Letting them be here on Earth with us didn’t seem like too much to ask. There are some situations that are too painful to have instant gratitude. But here’s what I’ve learned from their losses: I’m grateful God gave them to me at all. I’m grateful for the time I had with them. I have so much gratitude for the memories I’m left with. And I am beyond grateful that I get to have eternity with them because of Jesus.
There are situations that gratitude isn’t going to be the first emotion you feel and I understand, I’m here with you. But I want you to remember that God is a gracious, generous, loving God. Furthermore, we are here on this Earth to play a part in the story of God. We are here to glorify Him. Anything He gives us is worth being grateful for. We are all pieces of a bigger whole.
If we can not find the good in a particular situation, be grateful that for anyone else that is going through the same situation you’ve been through, you will be able to walk alongside them. Not as someone trying to understand but as someone who has forged the path before them. You have felt the pain, you have experienced the hurt. I truly believe we are put in certain situations to be able to help the person after us. Our lives are bigger than just us.
Gratitude is in your attitude.
Whether it’s a huge win or a devastating loss, finding a parking spot or getting stuck in traffic remember to be grateful. When you are coming from a position of gratitude, you will be able to see the good or the benefit in every situation. You can not control what happens to you, only how you react to it. You are still here, you are still breathing. Tomorrow is another day and another chance to exhibit gratitude for all that God gives us. And that alone is something worth being grateful for.
Thankful for you,
Before you go:
* Tell me in the comments if this one mindset shift has changed your life
* Join the mailing list so you don’t miss out on any of the great content coming out
The latest:
Ronna says
Love this blog! And I agree 100%. So proud of you!
scoutandbex says
Thanks, Mama. I learned to keep a positive mindset from you 🙂