Practice Gratitude

My favorite mode of learning is from other people's examples. On Monday I was reading my little sister's weekly letter from the mission field, and I really liked this part:

"My new companion is Sister Kira Barker--and I couldn't be happier! She is always happy and I asked her how she stays so happy all the time, and she says she is just super grateful."

Super Grateful. The wheels in my mind began to turn, and I felt like I wanted to put this to the test. Although I have been taught countless times to show gratitude, it is so easy to slip into the "wo is me" attitude. I really have LOVED these past four days because I have been SO much happier and more my true self. Here are some examples of ways I have changed my thought patterns:

"I can't believe Marshall is gone again and this time I do not know when we will see each other again," to "I am so grateful Marshall has a great job that he is good at, and that we are so good at having meaningful conversations even over the phone."
"Ugh, I have to go to the rink three times to coach in one day. How am I going to get anything done at home today?" to "I love seeing my skaters and working with them, and the fact that I get to go three times today means I can ride my bike to the rink and spend more time enjoying the beautiful fall weather we have been having!"
"We have twelve days left before we get paid again and I only have this amount of money left for groceries. I hope I can make it stretch sufficiently." to "I have this much money left for groceries and I have all this food in the fridge and freezer. We are so blessed!"
"The lady we bought eggs from on a weekly basis just told me she is not selling her eggs anymore. Where are we going to buy eggs now?" to "I am so grateful for the wonderful service this lady has given us! I have been blessed by her generosity and delicious eggs. I know we will find another family who sells eggs." (side note: After only a couple of phone calls, I have lined up a new egg service to replace our former one!)

See how easy it is to switch a possibly stressful and ungrateful thought to a productive and grateful one? It is so contagious!!

The easiest way for me to practice gratitude on a daily, even hourly, basis is to smile through all things. I've noticed that I have laughed more, and for that I am grateful.

Want More Goodies?

This talk is an excellent one about having gratitude in our life. Let me know what you think!

1 minute highlight:

Full-length talk:

Comments

Hoping for a Rainbow

I'm really not sure if I ever thought this day would come. The day that I made it past 13 weeks pregnant without losing the baby. #miracle. I know I am not out of the woods yet, and honestly, when are we really? I am just trying to live every day with gratitude for the life inside of me, living with hope for the future. Part of me wanted to wait until next week, when I was past 14 weeks and officially in the 2nd trimester, but I couldn't wait any longer. I've been getting a little thick in the middle, which is getting more difficult to hide, and I feel like I haven't been able to be completely honest with friends when they would ask, "how are you doing?" All I wanted to talk about was how nauseous I was or how nervous I felt. So now, the news is out, whether or not you already suspected something was up. Seriously though, the 1st trimester is not for the faint of heart! There were many instances when I thought I would lose the baby, but dee

I'm Pregnant! .....

...or so I thought. And you did too. Happy April Fools Day! I had been having baby dreams and feeling nauseous on and off during spring break, and I knew I would test immediately when I returned home from our road trip. The test was barely visible and I didn't believe it, so I said nothing to Marshall. That night I had a dream where the next pregnancy test I took was a solid double line. Well, two days after the first test, I got my obvious positive. I was so excited. Not knowing if it would be a good pregnancy or not, I tested again two days later and the line was darker, so I felt confident. The past two pregnancies I miscarried at approximately 6 or 7 weeks both times, so I was pretty nervous about this one. What if it happened again? Would I be strong enough? Knowing that I needed extra strength and prayers, I asked roughly 40 of our family and closest friends to fast and pray with us on Easter Sunday. That Sunday I was on the top of the world. I felt so strong an

Grandpa is Always Right | Gender Reveal |

I was hanging out in our rental apartment in Salzburg, Austria with my sister when my dad walked out of his bedroom and announced that I was having a girl. I was only 11 weeks along at that point and while I was wishfully hoping for a girl, I was preparing myself for a boy. His strong conviction of the gender of our child without any hints from an ultrasound surprised me. My dad seems to always be right about things, so I secretly hoped he was right this time too. Today during my scan, my favorite sonographer announced that we were having a girl. Grandpa is always right. I never imagined our family starting with a baby boy. I don't know why, but a baby girl seems to fit just perfectly. Now I just have to keep calm and stay healthy for 19 more weeks.

Tender Mercies

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