Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. . .it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.~Melody Beattie

I absolutely love this quote from Melody Beattie and have been challenged by it ever since reading it for the first time 6 years ago.  I can honestly say the first time I read it I wasn't so sure I believed all that this quote brings to the table.  However, the more I have put gratitude in to practice in my life the more I have found her profound words to be revealed to me.  

One of my favorite authors and motivational speakers, Jon Gordon, has built his career around positivity and a heart of appreciation and gratitude.  He says, "The mind is like a garden. You need to weed the negative and feed the positive." He also got me hooked to the idea of a "Thank You Walk" which he started after finding research that shows that you cannot be stressed and thankful at the same time.  In his words, "When I'm feeling blessed, I'm not stressed!"  I was encouraged by this mindset and have started to put this into practice.  Each day, I try to get in a run, or a walk, and identify at least 10 things that I am grateful for and can give thanks to God for the blessings.  I have found this practice to not only make my runs and walks seem shorter, but it has also helped my mindset and focus.  It has truly helped to bring truth to Melody's words above for me in my life.  It's allowed me more acceptance, order, and clarity with challenging situations in my life as I look for the positives and ways I have grown.  It has also brought me a much better sense of peace and focus on what matters most in my life as a perspective of gratitude will naturally do.

The mission for this week is to carve out 5-10 minutes a day for a "Thank You Walk" where you can set your mind on focusing and thanking God for 5-10 things that you have going for you in your life.  See what God will do with this new practice of gratitude!

Thank you for this photo by Erik Witsoe on Unsplash