Choosing to be Grateful #ibloom

Our topic this week in Chapter 6 of iBloom’s ichoose2 Love my Life is gratitude.  This week’s chapter is MUCH easier for me than last week’s which was about dealing with procrastination.  I’m dealing with it though, see I even got my weekly post up on the day I am supposed to post it. Step by step, inch by inch…

Gratitude… I think overall we are not a very grateful people now. Americans especially have become very materialistic and possession driven. We want more but we don’t have the means to get more and we don’t feel like we are good enough until we do possess more, achieve more, become more…

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” – Dennis Waitley

What is this “more” we are striving so hard to obtain and achieve though?  Really it only causes more stress, pressure, emotional distress and problems.  I admit I fall into the trap on a regular basis.  I think especially since I am not married and don’t have kids, I feel like I have to overcompensate and be super successful in my career.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” -Melody Beattie

I wrote several posts about gratitude in November during the “30 Days of Gratitude” Challenge.  I think they all have great insight and lessons I learned about gratitude. I would love it if you would read the posts that are linked below:

Choosing Worship Over Whining

Being Humbled Instead of Caught Up

Giving Thanks by Giving to Others

365 Days of Gratitude instead of just 30 

One thing the chapter discusses is to start a Gratitude Journal and to write down 5 things you are thankful for each day. I think this is a wonderful idea.  It helps you remember to stop and say thank you for your blessings, it helps you keep perspective of just how good your life is (even though it is not and never will be perfect) and it keeps you humble.

What about you? What are some ways you can learn to be more grateful and show more gratitude? Do you keep a gratitude journal or do you plan to start one?  I would love for you to share your thoughts on gratitude in the comments below.

Also if you are participating in the iBloom challenge and have written a post on Chapter 6, please feel free to add your link to the link up below!

View other posts in this series: http://ceoofmeinc.com/tag/ichoose2-love-my-life/

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