So I had a moment last week straight out of the cartoons…you know, the one with the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other? I was doing my housework and suddenly as I was mopping the powder room I was overcome with an incredible sense of gratitude. I paused and silently thanked God for blessing me with a beautiful home to clean.

POOF!!!! Out of nowhere comes this inner voice….”You did NOT just seriously thank God for housework?!?”

There I am, steam mop in hand (seriously one of the greatest inventions of ALL TIME, by the way!) while my little angel and devil are in a full blown debate. I chuckled to myself and then said aloud, “I AM blessed to have this beautiful home to keep clean for my family and caring for it is one of the ways I show my gratitude.” Well, that must have been enough because the debate ended as abruptly as it began and I found myself able to resume my cleaning.

Later that night as my husband and I said our bedtime prayers, I reflected on the moment and once again thanked God for the privilege of having such a beautiful home to keep clean.

Yes, I said privilege and clean in the same sentence.

You see, I feel that we can look at life with bitterness or with gratitude. Bitterness will only bring us more misery, but if we look for the blessings in our lives we will become more aware of what we truly have. You know how when you buy a new car, you suddenly see them everywhere? They were there before; you just weren’t looking for them.

                              “Trade your expectation for appreciation and the world changes instantly”

                                                                                                                        -Tony Robbins

Don’t get me wrong, I can get as whiney as the next girl. (Just ask my husband!) The difference is, I try to nip it in the bud as soon as possible. I begin each day by sending out a card of gratitude to someone that comes to mind. It may be someone that I have known for years and that may have had a profound impact on my life, or it could be someone I hardly know that simply went out of their way to show me or my family kindness. Either way, it is a wonderful way to start the day. The best part is, this person is lifted up in prayer and gratitude when I think of them and send the card and then again when they receive it!

“Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for  each other”

                                                                                           -Randy Pausch

As I mentioned before, my husband and I end our day with prayer. We simply take a few moments to thank God for all the blessings in our lives. We have been practicing this little ritual for about 5 years now and it has had such a positive impact on our lives. It has become one of my favorite times of the day!

So, let me leave you with this thought today; when you are going about your hectic life, stop and show gratitude for your blessings. Reach out to others in kindness and I think you will find that your life is much more abundant than you may have realized.

                              “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer”

                                                                                                                        -Maya Angelou