Change is a part of life. No matter how much we may want certain things to stay the same everything changes. Every day you become one day older than you were the day before. Therefore including gratitude is a much because gratitude changes you and changes your life.
You look at your kids and it feels like they have grown so much overnight. You may have joined the gym to make some health changes. Because you wanted to do something about the changes in your body that have occurred over time and since you had your kids.
We may not have the power to control all the changes in our lives, whether good or bad. However, we do have the power to make some positive changes in our lives, like joining the gym. Making changes in our lives that help us grow in ways to become better women, wives, or mothers is so important.
One big change we all can make in our lives that will have a huge positive effect is adopting an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude changes you and helps you grow in three wonderful ways.
Having An Attitude of Gratitude Helps You To Be More Content
I don’t know about you, but I have often struggled with being content. It can be so easy at times to look at ourselves and our lives and find them lacking in so many ways. As a stay at home mom, I have often thought about how my pharmacy degree is being wasted.
Because of my degree, I should have been able to help my girls be more advanced academically than they are. Or I can look at my marriage. I can think of all the ways I should be a better wife or how much better my marriage should be.
Wanting to grow and be better is not the problem. We are not perfect and there is always room to grow. However, the problem comes when we are not truly grateful for what we have. We can become discontent with what we have and start focusing on the things we do not.
I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.
Philippians 4:12 (MSG)
Being grateful for the things you have helps you to be more content. Whether you are a SAHM, a WAHM, a mom who works out of the home, or not a mom yet, you have that and so many things to be grateful for. Our lives may not be perfect, but that does not mean we cannot be grateful for the lives we have.
Having An Attitude of Gratitude Helps You To Focus More On Your Blessings
Gratitude changes your focus as well. Not only does it help you to be more content, but it also allows you to focus more on the blessings in our lives. Being content with the blessings in your life. Your kids are a blessing, no matter how crazy they drive you on any given day.
What you do every day is a blessing, no matter what that is. Whether you are a SAHM, like me, and let your career take a back seat. Or you are a WAHM and have found a way to be home with your kids and still work. Or you work outside of the home because that is the best thing for you and your family.
You and what you do for your family is a blessing and you should grateful for it. Having an attitude of gratitude allows you to look past what you do not have or what you may be missing out on. It helps you to focus on the blessings you have. Gratitude changes you, your attitude, and perspective for the better.
Having An Attitude of Gratitude Helps You To Focus Less On Your Mistakes or Missteps
Let’s have a truth moment here. As much as we all would like to do all things well and be superwoman. We are not. I love to cook, but without a recipe, I am often lost and the results are not always good. I could look at this as a failure, or be grateful for Pinterest and the all the great cookbooks out there.
There are things you may not do well or areas of your life where you may have fallen short. That is just apart of being human. As moms, that is something that is often harder to accept because of the responsibility of motherhood.
Indeed, we all make many mistakes.
James 3:2a (NLT)
Yet even though we make mistakes and we fail sometimes, we all still have so much to be grateful for. If we are truly honest, we can often be grateful for our mistakes or failures as well. We often learn our biggest lessons from mistakes we have made.
Having an attitude of gratitude allows you to not just simply look at all the good and blessings in your life. It also allows you to look that the mistakes and missteps in your life, not as the focus, but as a lesson. We all make mistakes and fail at things. Yet that does not make you a failure. You still have so many things to be grateful for.
I have often heard people say “Attitude is everything” and I can agree with that in so many ways. Having an attitude of gratitude can change everything. Gratitude changes you for the better. It allows you to be more content while refocusing on your blessings and not on where you may feel you are failing or the mistakes you have made.
I’d love to hear about one area or thing in your life you could be more grateful for in the comments!
Attitude really is everything. Thank you for your wise words today.
Yes it is and thank you so much for your kind words, Shan.
I recently saw a facebook post about being grateful for our aching bodies, because our bodies are able to work hard, and being grateful for being woken up in the middle of the night because we get hugs from the babies, etc… We can choose how we look at pretty much everything — as a blessing or a trial. We all need to learn the skill of gratitude.
That is such a good reminder, Amy. I once heard that pain is a sign that you still have feelings and life. Choosing gratitude and how we look at different situations in life is so important.
I’m always working on this because as s competitor, I tend to compare myself to others A LOT, and I have so much to be grateful for. I have to be careful not to focus SO much on my areas of improvement. Thanks for reminding me to appreciate all of the greatness God continually places in my life.
I really love this post. It amazes me how much happier I am when I just approach life with a different attitude.
You have a beautiful family! It’s a great reminder to appreciate all the wonderful things that we have in life!
So good! Gratitude changes everything. It makes us lighter and fills us with joy. We enter into the gates of Heaven with thanksgiving!
Thanks for sharing Ayanna!
Yes, I totally agree! Having gratitude in daily life is life changing. Thanks for the post!
Having the right attitude and perspective is so important, Maya.
Gratitude helps you put things in perspective. It really helps you change your mindset to the positive.
So true, Theresa.
I started keeping a gratitude journal this year and it’s made such a difference in my outlook!
I love your point about gratitude helping us not focus so much on our missteps and mistakes. So true! We can spend so much time kicking ourselves when we should be more grateful for the things we did do right and what is working well. 🙂
It is good to be reminded of what we already have. Attitude is everything in life. Being negative and ungrateful is only destructive.
I love this post – gratitude is so key! Yes, I too find it hard to be content at times. But attitude is everything. I think if we can count our blessings and look forward instead of back, we can have a more positive outlook on life overall!
Sandy
Gratitude changes EVERYTHING and helps me to put everything in proper perspective on a daily basis. It also opens up new avenues from God. As my pastor says, “Thank you makes room for more!”
A couple of years ago I decided that everyday I’d take 5 minute to think about 10 things that made me happy through that day, it really changed my prospective to life because while I do things I start thinking “I’m really grateful for this I should keep it in mind for tonight’s list” and I start looking for things that make me happy throught the all day. Idk if I’m making any sense but this is such an important message to share 😀 xx
Being grateful is something I want to really instill into my children. I’ve always had that sort of mindset, my husband has not. So we have been working a lot lately on really appreciating everything we have.
I find that when I take the time to write about what I am grateful for on a daily basis I am more aware of having an attitude of gratitude throughout the day.
Yes! 100% to all of your fantastic points. I started keeping a gratitude journal about 4-5 weeks ago, and it’s incredible how much of a difference it makes on my outlook. Just like you said, I find myself more content, patient, and appreciative of everything I have in my life 🙂 Thanks for spreading this important message <3
Such a good reminder! I’m guilty of not being content where I’m at – it is important to remember to enjoy the now!
I love this article! Gratitude is something that I also struggle with, but one of my new years resolutions this year was to write down weekly what I am grateful for in my life and I have to say it really does help me to feel better and less stressed.
I love how authentic this post.
I love this!! As a new stay at home mom with a degree, I totally understand this feeling. I have found writing my 5 daily gratitude in my gratitude journal has helped so much.
Your words ring true. How many times have I heard this “wasting your degree’ nonsense? Too many times, I’d say. Life’s about experiences and attitude, not only about checking off boxes. More power to you and your family!