Tuesday, November 23, 2010

An Attitude of Gratitude

Thanksgiving is upon us, and because I'm practically a BIPOLAR person according to my blog rants I am here to state what I am grateful for! I know, shocking isn't it.

Grateful For...
1. Family - yeah I really am.
2. Job. I'm so glad I get paid to do my homework! AND, I'm grateful for my new, fun, holiday job wrapping gifts at Christensen's Department Store. (That is a whole other blog post...stay tuned for that.)
3. Honda Civic - that car is the BEST, and still has many more miles to go!
4. Having a snow day - school/work got canceled because of the pending blizzard. And, I still got paid! BooYEAH!
5. Food! Need I say more!
6. School. I'm truly grateful I have the opportunity to go to school and work towards a goal...even though it may be taking longer than I want I know in the end I will be grateful for this whole experience.
7. Netflix. I have such a strong testimony of such a wonderful program. LOVE IT!
8. My bed. First, it's so cute. Second it's so COMFORTABLE!
9. A sister who does whatever I tell her to do...most of the time. ;)
10. My Mac computer. If you don't own one you need to convert - they're the best!
11. Traveling.
12. Camera - captures some of the best moments of my life.
13. Blogging - my little piece of genealogy. And, "Blogger" for giving my Blog back!
14. FRIENDS! I have some of the best friends in the whole wide world. To name all of them would take up so much. You know who you are! Thank you for being my friend.
15. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It really is a good church!
16. My calling at church. It's really making me grow and learn.
17. My plants. I'm not a single old maid with cats, BUT I have PLANTS! They are so pretty and add to the interior decorating of my place. They're so pretty.
18. Bathtubs - nothing treats a long day like a soak in hot bubbles.
19. KitchenAid Mixer...and salad spinner. Rest in Peace Salad Spinner!
20. Makeup - thank you for making me look presentable.
21. Chuck-a-Rama salad bar. SOOOOOOOOO HEAVENLY!
22. AccccccTiviaaaaaaa - keep'n it regular yo's, or in my case, slow'n it down!
23. College professors who make time to work with you. Cough, cough...Chemistry Professor really wants me to pass my class, and thinks that I can.
24. Good books that let you escape reality and go to places far away. And Edward Cullen. ;)
25. Music! Music! Music!
26. Stealing the Internet so I don't have to pay $40.00 a month. Outrageous!
27. Glee! Yes, I am a total Gleek, and PROUD OF IT! Don't go dissing on my Glee.
28. Cell Phone - keeping me connected to the ones I love. Not grateful for texting though. Okay, so I am a little...
29. Dishwasher. I don't have one, but I would be so grateful for one!
30. Airplanes that let me travel to far off lands like Alaska...even in January for my friends wedding!
31. Being Single. Yup, I love being single. From what I heard Eternity is a LONG time. Here's to Living up the single life while I still can.
32. Dating - It gives me free meals!
33. Tampons. I won't go into detail.
34. Since I'm on the subject of Tampons I'm also grateful for toilets and toilet paper.
35. Babies. Love to have them then give them back to their awesome mom's when they get fussy.
36. People who leave free magazines like Better Homes and Gardens at the post office for anyone's taking.
37. Facebook - only when people you haven't seen in years find you on the website and want to reconnect. Now that is why I like Facebook!
38. Institute. I finally get to graduate!
39. My hairstylist (and friend), Alicia. She does an awesome job on my hair and color...what am I going to do when I move far away?
40. TV shows that now come on DVD - how did we ever watch regular TV?
41. TUTORS who are very patient and want me to succeed at school.
42. Sewing machines that fix pants with holes in the croch.
43. The opportunity to serve a Mission in the Ohio Cincinnati Mission. Long live the OCM!
44. Bountiful Baskets.
45. All my experiences in life. Good and Bad!
46. Church stuff - testimony, plan of salvation, eternal marriage, temples, and stuff like that.
47. iPods. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
48. Insurance. Wow, how that stuff has helped me out of deep deer SHHH...
49. Laughing so hard I pee my pants!
50. General Conference talks.

Which leads me to the heart of this Attitude of Gratitude. President Monson gave a wonderful talk this last conference on The Divine Gift of Gratitude. Awesome - read it! After reading/watching this talk at Institute Thursday I decided to change my negative ways.

Favorite "One Liners" from his Awesome Talk
~ Do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love.
~ When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.
~ We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings. Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."
~ Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings.
~ This is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. There are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who teach. Our lives are blessed in countless ways.
~ We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative through and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that "gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others."
~ "The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life. Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!" (Joseph F. Smith)
~ Do material possessions make us happy and grateful? Perhaps momentarily. However, those things which provide deep and lasting happiness and gratitude are the things which money cannot buy: our families, the gospel, good friends, our health, our abilities, the love we receive from those around us. Unfortunately, these are some of the things we allow ourselves to take for granted. Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.
~ We often take for granted the very people who most deserve our gratitude. Let us not wait until is too late for us to express that gratitude.
~ A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort--at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don't get around to it. Someone has said that "feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
~ When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. however, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given.

Let us be grateful for all that we have this Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Gobble, Gobble.

12 comments:

Mrs Buchanan said...

It's nice to see that you are having a more positive outlook on life now. I especially liked how you are grateful for Edward Cullen and Chuck-a-rama. And you kept telling me that what I was grateful for was cheesy. What do you have to say for your list?

Mrs Buchanan said...

My most favorite one is what you said about your sweet, extremely easy going sister that does whatever you tell her. I love you too little Miss Bossy Boss!

MinDee said...

love your list! it makes me laugh! i didnt' know chuch o rama was still one of you top places to eat at!!! good times libdawg, good times. i'm thankful for you. you're a good friend and all that. i'm glad we get to stay in touch. now, i really will take you up on the wrapping presents offer if you want!! ;)

The Life of Michael said...

Number 30 is awesome...but seriously number 33? No further comments necessary.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with about half the stuff (or more) on your list, so it must be a pretty good list! I agree with #33, but I must say that The Keeper is better than tampons.

You forgot to say how grateful you are to not be the only Liberty/Libby in the family.

Great talk by Pres. Monson. I really should read through it again now that I have the new Ensign.

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