Practicing Gratitude

I'm convinced there is power in achieving an attitude of gratitude, but gratitude doesn't seem to come naturally.  Evidently, it is a learned behavior that requires daily practice, like brushing one's teeth or picking up after oneself.

I wondered what would happen if I started each new day by saying "thank you" to the Creator.  What if I made a practice of expressing gratitude even when I didn't feel especially grateful?  I've heard it takes six weeks of repetition for a new practice to become a habit.  I decided to try practicing gratitude for six weeks.

Now I start each morning by saying, "Thank you, God" for at least five of life's blessings.  This morning, my list included, "Thank you for a warm bed in which to sleep.  Thank you that I woke up this morning. Thank you for eyes with which to see the earth's beauty.  Thank you for good health and for the gift of medical science when health fails. Thank you for coffee."  That one bears repeating.  "Thank you for coffee."

Thank you--two simple words that hold the power to change us from the inside out.  As for me, I've discovered that the more I express gratitude--not only the God, but to the people in my life--the more grateful I feel.