Color Me Butterfly

There is no greater gift than the gift of gratitude. Gratitude is the most powerful force in the world. When we are grateful to God or to another human being, our lives are enriched, transformed. We become a magnetic force, attracting all things good into our lives—grace, abundance, happiness.

Gratitude improves every facet of our lives. Our emotional health. Our physical health. Our relationships. Our communities. Research has shown that gratitude is not merely a “giving” emotion, it can also change our lives. For example, in a recent study, those who maintained a weekly gratitude journal reported fewer physical ailments, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about their future.

Many of us constantly complain about what’s not right in our lives. We see the negative in every situation and then wonder why our lives are not fulfilling, fraught with bad circumstances, why we never get ahead. It’s because we have an ungrateful heart—we take our lives for granted.

Whenever you’re about to complain about your life—whether you have a job you don’t like, an old car, a small savings account or no savings at all—learn to appreciate and give thanks for what you do have.

We need to celebrate Thanksgiving every day. Give thanks for or keep a gratitude journal of all the things you are grateful for: I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for my work. I am grateful for my dreams. I am grateful for the air I breathe, the food I eat, my health. Regardless of how big or small, the more you view life as a gift, the more you will come to appreciate it and your life will multiply.

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for every aspect of my life. Words cannot describe the joy I have for everything that breaths life around me—whether it’s my health, my family, my friends, my work, the roof over my head, the air I breathe, the eyes that make a way for me to see, the ears that wraps around sound. There is not one single thing that I am not grateful for.

Gratitude is not just an attitude. It’s a lifestyle. It opens our hearts to the possibility of touching the lives of others. It reaches the pinnacle of life’s sacred force—joy. When we are grateful and give of ourselves, we experience the plateau of all that life has to offer.

This Thanksgiving, give thanks for every aspect of your life. Gratitude is, after all, the core to true happiness!