Gratitude. Being grateful. Being thankful.

I get so frustrated when I hear parents say their children are ungrateful for what they’ve been given. I always wonder, do you show them that YOU’RE grateful for what YOU’VE been given?

Kids learn what they see.

Gratitude is not a natural emotion, in my opinion. I believe it is something that you learn. In order to have gratitude, you have to be able to appreciate something. The easiest way to appreciate something is to know what it’s like to not have it! But that’s not really an experiment we necessarily want to engage in with most things in our life.

I believe we can learn to appreciate what we have, especially by using our imaginations. What would your life be like without the love you’ve received? What would your life be like without your education? What if you lost any of your abilities? What about the things others have done for you? Look around – what are you happy to have in your life? Look at your family and friends – who are you happy to have in your life?

I have not always been particularly grateful for what I have in my life. I believe that being more grateful for what I have makes me appreciate what I continue to receive.

I wrote these affirmations from that perspective.