Recently I heard about Dr. Brown on my friend Lisa’s blog and something she said really struck a chord with me:
She has done over a decade of research and has found that the common thread between every truly JOYFUL person she interviewed was their habit of PRACTICING GRATITUDE.
She elaborated that this wasn’t just an “attitude of gratitude” but something these people actually had to PRACTICE. Work at. Make a point of.
The fact that this message spoke so loudly to me is yet another in what seem to be a series of messages that God keeps trying to get across to me.
First it was through Jenny. She’s a comedian/mom blogger who brightens my day with her joyful, carefree spirit. I was envious of her optimistic way of looking at life until one day she mentioned that she’s actually a PESSIMIST by nature and has to WORK at being light and joyous.
What?! Blew my socks off!
Told myself “Well, maybe ‘I’, too, can find a way to train myself into positivity!”
I tried for awhile - updated my blog with blue skies and bubbly fonts - but my naturally pessimistic ways crept back in after a little time passed.
Then along came God, slappin’ me upside the head by way of Ann Voskamp.
Once again I was back in the ‘thankfulness-begets-joy’ saddle with renewed enthusiasm. Even caught myself writing in my thankfulness journal with her uniquely fragmented dramatic flair: "chirping of birds in oak tree… sing soft” -“sun upon windowpane… warmth of skin and soul.”
Don’t laugh! It’s contagious! ;)
Wrote down my blessings faithfully…got all the way to 262! Then along came The Dark Side and I was, once again, off the thankfulness wagon.
Now to a few days ago when I saw Dr. Brown’s video.
**WHAM** “The key to JOY is GRATITUDE.”
“It’s not joy that makes us grateful… it’s gratitude that makes us joyful.”
So… here I am, once again. Trying to really HEAR God.
PRACTICE GRATITUDE.
Don’t expect it to happen by itself.
Practice it.
