There are seven months until Thanksgiving. I got to thinking about that when I woke up one day and decided I would spend that day being grateful. Why wait to concentrate on being thankful until the calendar tells us it time for “thanks giving?” Gratitude is a powerful force. It is productive. It is a basis from which to make decisions, and it raises the bar in relating to others. It can be hard work to be grateful, but it is always worthwhile. While I am reminded of it during the Thanksgiving season, gratitude should enhance all we do all year long – another goal for 2010!

I’ve heard it said that gratitude is among the greatest forms of wealth and that it should be spent freely because in doing so it grows. I believe this is true, and I have been inspired by how good it feels to express appreciation – internally and audibly. I truly do feel wealthy when I make the effort to see both the tangible and intangible good in my life. This attitude minimizes my desire to complain and eliminates many of the reasons for complaint. Just as one good deed inspires another, so an outpouring of gratitude inspires others to focus on and do good – because that is what happens when one is inspired. For this revelation, I am truly grateful.