[

Every day things demand our attention.  Work, family, kids, health, relationship, responsibilities sometimes it feels like you can’t catch a break.  It’s like being in a burning building and not knowing where to throw the water first.  Before you know it, you can find yourself taking the people and things you have in your life for granted.

[Tweet “The obstacles you face or the lack of this or that can’t hold you back unless you let them @aidajingram”]

You Need To Get Your Mind Right

Focusing on your problems, doesn’t help you solve them any faster.  It’s a great way to kill your motivation and ruin your mood.  Your mind is like a machine,  you have better things to do with your energy than waste it complaining about your problems. Why not focus on solving them?

Years ago, I heard Bishop T.D. Jakes say something that I never forgot.

[Tweet “Someone can take the deck of cards you have and win with it. – T.D. Jakes”].

It really made made me stop and think about how I was approaching my life and my problems.  I knew that I was guilty of sitting on unused gifts and talents and then asking God to give me more.  Had I been a good steward over the things I already had?

We all have tons of tools in our lives, when we focus on what we perceive as “better gifts, talents or abilities” we miss an opportunity to maximize what we already have.  The tools you hold today, could change your life tomorrow, but only if you decide to use them.  If someone else can use the exact same tools you have in your hand to change their lives for the better, why can’t you do the same thing?

[Tweet “When you make excuses, focus on your challenges or quit, you are missing out on opportunities you can use to improve your life.  @aidajingram”]

Immediately, I realized that I needed to make some changes, because I was getting in my own way.

Where You Want To Start

Consider being thankful for what you ALREADY HAVE.  When you learn how to see and appreciate what you have, you open up a world of possibilities.  When you stop and turn your attention inward, you can see things that you have dismissed or overlooked.  For instance, ask yourself what else could I use this for or can I do something else with this.  Even a simple Google search can give you creative ideas to help you maximize your talents and abilities .  Brainstorm or just jot down options to help you uncover untapped resources.  Be open and willing to look past the obvious and see potential.

[Tweet “It is hard to use a gift you don’t appreciate.  -@aidajingram”]

Gratitude Is A Choice

Living a life of gratitude is a choice, and it’s a choice you have to make daily.  When you focus on what you have instead of what you don’t, something changes.

[Tweet “What you appreciate, appreciates “]

Decide To Make A Habit Of Being Thankful

Today is a new day full of new opportunities and gifts.  Every day that you live there will be thousands of reasons to be thankful.  Your life, your family, your health, breath, strength, peace, safety, resources, food, growth, transformation, God, salvation, strength, power… I think you get my point.  Make a list of all the intangible gifts that surround you on a daily basis and stop to take it all in.  Think about what your life would be like without all of these things and then stop to say thank you for the privilege of having so many blessings.

The Challenge

In a world where having more is encouraged and excess is celebrated, stop and celebrate your life just the way it is.  Every day take a picture of something that you love, or something that you see that makes you smile and post it with the tag #LoveLife.  Make a collage of the things that you are thankful for and use it to remind you of just how fortunate you really are.  It is a practice that will make you happier and more aware of your many blessings.