"Like the leprosy of yesteryear are the plagues of today. They linger; they debilitate; they destroy. They are to be found everywhere. Their pervasiveness knows no boundaries. We know them as selfishness, greed, indulgence, cruelty, and crime, to identify but a few. Surfeited with their poison, we tend to criticize, to complain, to blame, and, slowly but surely, to abandon the positives and adopt the negatives of life.
A popular refrain from the 1940s captured the thought:
Accentuate the positive;
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative;
Don't mess with Mr. In-between.
Good advice then. Good advice now.
This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.
We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought 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." (Thomas S. Moson, "An Attitude of Gratitude," Ensign, May 1992, 54)
I think I have been blessed even more just by this act of writing down something I'm grateful for everyday. My attitude has improved, and I have felt happier over the past couple of weeks. No trials have disappeared, I don't have roses magically growing in my flowerbeds. But the more I look for things to be thankful for, the more I see them all around me. So today, I'm thankful for the blessings that come from gratitude.
2 comments:
That's a great quote! I've been thinking about this topic for a few weeks. I've noticed myself being a hypocrit. I'll pray and tell Heavenly Father that I know He'll look out for us and help us sell the house, but if someone during the days asks how the house selling is going, I instantly say, "It's never going to sell." That's not right! That's NOT showing faith.
I've noticed it's my attitude that's made things hard. I worked full time last school year and thought it was a very successful year. The only difference this year has been my attitude. I've been trying to be more grateful and more positive and it makes a HUGE difference!
You're gratitude posts have helped me also. I think you're so right about writing it down. Josh does the thing Pres Eyring suggested a few conferences ago & writes down a way he sees the hand of the Lord in his life daily. That's a gratitude journal. I'll get on it. Thanks, Susan!
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