Lemons or Lemonade

Last week we talked about ways to show gratitude.  This week, I want to talk about being thankful in a season of our life that is less than pleasant.  We are currently living in a time when unemployment is at an all-time high, families are losing their home to foreclosure and the financial market is a complete mess.  It certainly doesn't feel like a time to be thankful.   

It is exactly times like this that we should practice being thankful.  Mary J. Lore, author of the award-winning book Managing Thought:  How Do Your Thoughts Rule Your World?, says "practicing thankfulness is one of the most powerful ways of thinking to bring about a change in our circumstances."  That is an amazing way to look at our life.  If we can take time to be thankful for what we do have and not concentrate on what we don't have, it can certainly change our attitude.

When we go through difficult seasons in our life, we may find that we struggle with thoughts of fear, frustration, depression, self-doubt and a multitude of other emotions.  None of these kinds of thoughts do anything to inspire us or move us to make positive changes.  In fact, they will most likely make matters worse.

However, a sure-fire way to gain perspective and confidence is to practice being thankful.  When we are thankful we begin to realize that things aren't really as bad as they seem.  When we practice being thankful, it can help us to see begin to see possibilities and and possibily give us ideas about other things we can do.

According to author Mary J. Lore, practicing just one of the tips listed below will bring dramatic improvement to your spirit, relationships, creativity and in your life.

**Make a list everything you are thankful, especially things you are unhappy about.  If we hold contempt for anything we wish to change, we block our ability to change it.

**At the end of each day, think of everything you are thankful for from that day.  Our spirits are lifted when we are appreciative of even the smallest things.

**Throughout the day, take note of what you are thankful for and be thankful for each experience.

**When you catch yourself thinking self-defeating thoughts, take a deep breath, first exhaling deeply, and ask yourself "what can I be thankful for in this moment?"

Being thankful is a choice.  It is up to us to take the lemons life hands us and make lemonade out of them.  We can choose to let circumstances rule us or we can choose to rule the circumstances.  God created us with a free-will.  Part of that free-will is the ability to make choices.  I ask you, what will you choose?  Are you content letting life hand you lemons?  Lemonade is so much sweeter and tastier than plain lemons, don't you think?

Walking the walk & Talking the talk,





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