Live happier, with more freedom and more joy

I once heard about a group of creative neighborhood children who would often get together at one of their houses after school to talk about their aspirations. They had a special bond of friendship. A wondrous glow radiated from their faces, and a sparkle danced in their eyes as they sat around the kitchen table, sipping hot chocolate. Each took turns and spoke of their hopes and dreams for the future. It was beautiful to behold. And, at times, when it was at her home, a mother of one of the girls in the group would join in on the lively conversation.

Fittingly, one afternoon the mother told the group a story of her ‘Jewel Box.’ The children’s imagination soared as she described to them that this was one of her most prized possessions. They vividly imagined a velvet jewelry box filled with expensive diamonds, luxurious rubies, and elegant pearls. A few minutes passed and, curiously, a little brown-haired girl asked the mother, “So what’s in your jewel box?”

Chock full of energy, the children all eagerly awaited her answer. Smiling, the mother replied thoughtfully, “The jewel box is not a material jewelry box.” There was a hushed silence in the room. “In reality,” the mother added kindly, “the jewel box is the treasure compartment of your heart.” Then, quickly, she continued, “And I believe that everyone has one. This special treasure compartment holds within it the priceless jewels of joy, love, faith and most importantly an attitude of gratitude.”

The children asked the mother many questions. And as the children grew into adulthood, they never forgot the mother’s lesson of the jewel box as a path to becoming more thankful. For they realized that the more grateful you are and the more you help other people, the more goodness you will attract into your own life.

How blessed do you feel right now? Are you enjoying all that God has given to you? Or, are you letting life’s challenges get in the way of being thankful?

You are God’s light in the world. So, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glorify to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Gratitude enlarges the heart and allows even more goodness to enter, and it can help you to create the life of your dreams. When an attitude of gratitude becomes a habit, you’ll recognize that your days are filled with infinite possibilities. And, similar to the mother in this story, you will be a power for good.

Yet, perhaps, you’ve been floundering. You are doing everything you can, but you don’t see anything changing. Things have not gone your way. Time is passing, and you’re disheartened. Despairingly you may ask yourself, “How did I let it get this far?” and “What’s there for me to be happy about now,” as your hopes for the future appear to be fading.

But you can’t wait until everything is perfect or gets better before you choose to have a good attitude. Rather than talking yourself into being discouraged, you must be thankful for all the blessings you possess and decide to be the very best that you can be right here and right where you are today.

I wonder what would happen if we made the conscious decision to take the good from life’s experiences and recharge our thoughts to grasp an attitude of gratitude from each situation?

Remember, God has you in the palm of His Hand. God promised He will never leave you nor forsake you. Hence, the more optimistic and thankful you are, the more joy, peace, and blessings will come back to you. And by recounting all that God has done for you, you’ll discover there is more to be thankful for than you realize.

One way to count your blessings is to create a “Thankful Tree” as a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. It’s something interactive that you and your guests can do to keep an attitude of gratitude. Here’s what you’ll need for the ‘Thankful Tree.’

• Tree branches, and you could paint the branches with spray paint.

• Fill a large vase with the tree branches.

• Cut out paper leaves from metallic gold and silver toned paper.

• Using a hole punch, make a hole at the base of each leaf.

• Thread thin ribbon through the hole in each paper leaf.

• Have some markers, colored pencils, and crayons available.

• Ask your family and guests to share their gratitude and write it on the paper leaves.

• Be sure to provide guests with extra leaves, and writing materials so they can get creative when expressing their special messages of thanks.

• Once they have added their sentiments, simply tie their leaf or leaves onto the centerpiece branches.

• After the meal, invite family and friends to enjoy the notes of thanks, reading through them and reflecting on what each person is thankful for in their lives. To keep the thankful tree going as a tradition, bring it out each year so everyone can add new leaves and recall their many blessings. This annual ritual may also serve as a reminder to focus on the positives.

Regardless of what’s going on at the moment, choose to be grateful. Reader, Ruben Vazquez says, “See each day as a gift from God. For God has so many ways to bless your future.” So, day by day, notice all the blessings in your life. Let your heart overflow with gratitude. Verbalize your thanks and appreciation to God and others. Offer life-giving, kind words to people. Speak love. Speak encouragement. Express appreciation for what you have now. And with an attitude of gratitude, thank God for His goodness. Rejoice in all the ways that He has guided you in the past. And God will lead you forward into a life of favor, miracles and blessings in every area.

Live happier, with more freedom and more joy! Get ready. God is about to surprise you with His goodness!