Gratitude. It’s everywhere this month, people posting daily on Facebook, pondering what are we thankful for this season. But do you truly get the power of gratitude? Are you aware of what this tool can do in your life? Read on because gratitude….can change everything.
I was mentoring a mom who had been struggling for over 2 decades with depression, relationship conflict, low self worth and more. Like many women on the outside it looked like she had a great life and family, but inside she hurt everyday. As we talked a ongoing conflict with her son came up. He was in his late teens and things had been going downhill for several years. He was making serious choices that were not only life threatening and illegal, like drug use, they were not in line with the family’s values and religious views and this mom was heart broken. Their relationship had deteriorated to constant conflict and contention. She was at a loss what to do. It was actually beginning to tear apart the family and take over her every waking thought.
Enter gratitude. I asked her to tell me something good about her son, some redeeming quality. She was caught off guard and frankly you could hear crickets in the silence on her end of the phone. I kept encouraging and finally she said, “Well despite everything, he is really good to his sister.” “Good,” I replied, “and?…. ” It took many minutes but slowly she began to see her son as her son again and more than just a heartbreaking, contentious rule breaker. They had been in battle so long and so hard it was all she could see. But as she used gratitude to see some good in him it removed her from the eye of the storm just enough that she could come up for air and reassess the situation. Gratitude, combined with the other tools I taught her, gave her the presence of mind and softened her heart enough to begin to associate with her son in a new light and approach her concerns from a less combative way and consequently he responded likewise. They had been locked in battle and neither one would back down but just a few minutes using the powerful tool of gratitude set them on an entirely new course where they eventually found peace and common ground again and in the place she could actually have the influence that escaped her when locked in the power struggle.
This can work when we are down, overwhelmed, fighting with a spouse or child, anything.
Gratitude is a powerful gift that immediately lifts our spirits and changes our perspective. Try it right now! Consider your current emotions. Then think of 10 things you are grateful for. Now how do you feel? Want to make it even more life changing? Next time you are down, angry, overwhelmed, or in a conflict with someone think of 10 things you are grateful for in general or about that person or situation. It can change your heart and perspective so you can move forward more happily and lovingly.
So what’s the power of gratitude? Quite simply…it can change everything for the better!
True To The Faith counsels that, “The Lord has promised, “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious”(D&C 78:19). Gratitude is an uplifting, exalting attitude. You can probably say from experience that you are happier when you have gratitude in your heart. You cannot be bitter, resentful, or mean-spirited when you are grateful.” (page 78)
Mindy Heath teaches principles and tools like this one to women and couples in her coaching programs. If you are ready to stop surviving and start thriving in all areas of your life schedule a free mini mentoring session to get clear about how to have more peace, joy and connection in your life!
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