Here Are Some Ideas!  It is not always so easy getting an attitude of gratitude, and it is often a lot harder keeping that idea, so here are some ideas that I hope will help all of us to get and keep an attitude of gratitude, so that we can live in and with the right perspective!

Make A Gratitude List!  Actually sit down with pen and paper make a list!  Write down all the things that you have to be thankful for!  At first a lot of things will pop into your head and then you will have to really think about it.  Take the time – it’s worth it!  And write it down, because then you have tangible proof!  Now that you have your list, take some time to meditate on the goodness of God!  Think about how much God must love you to bless you with all of these blessings.  The whole time you are focused on this, you won’t be focused on problems and frustrations, which will help you to get and keep the right perspective!  This process activates faith in your life and allows God to show up and show out!

Get Your Focus Right!  It is so easy to get focused on all of the wrong things!  We think about what we don’t have or what we can’t do and we miss the enjoyment of what we do have and what we can do.  If you can learn to shift your focus off of the bad and onto the good, then you will get your enthusiasm back!   It is true that your life will  follow your thoughts!  Get the right thoughts and God will help you get the right life – a life that is blessed by Him!

We Need To Challenge And Change Stinking Thinking!  We like to think we don’t have stinking thinking, but living in this world almost guarantees the threat and temptation to take you to this negative place.  We have to remind ourselves everyday  that today is a gift from God – that’s why today is called a present!  THANK GOD for the present of today and live life to the fullest!

Proverbs 23:7 says:  “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he!”  Being Grateful Changes Everything – Especially perspective which changes your life!  You can do this!  You were created to do this!  Aren’t you thankful!!!

We Need The Right Spirit!  Life comes at us from all directions and it is very easy for us to get out of whack fast!  If we are not careful, then before we know it, we can be in the wrong place, thinking the wrong thoughts and headed in the wrong direction and not even realize it.  This does not make us a bad person, it just means that our wrong spirit needs to be made right!

It Starts With The Right Foundation!  The Foundation to living a good, blessed and happy life is living with a grateful spirit!  We have to remember even when things are tough, that there is still a whole lot of good in our life.  We can ignore the bad, but we don’t need to be focused to the point of distraction by it either.  Seeds of discouragement, discontent and depression cannot take root in a grateful heart!  Even when life is bad, tough and hard, there is still much to be thankful for in our lives.  This is why a few weeks ago, I gave the my family and friends a rock to carry in their pocket – it is a simple reminder each time you touch it to think about something that you have to be grateful for!  This simple act of touching and thinking about what something you have to be grateful for causes you to refocus off of the negative and onto the positive!

Instead of!  Instead of looking at what’s wrong, start looking at what’s right!  Instead of complaining about what you don’t have, be happy with what you do have!  Instead of dwelling on how far you’ve got to go, take a look back and focus on how far God has already brought you!

Think About It!  Someone would love to have your life!  Have you thanked God lately?  In I Thessalonians 5:18 it says “In everything give thanks!”  It does not say in some things.  It does not say in what you want to.  It says in everything – the good and the bad give thanks!  Why, because God is working through the good and the bad for His glory and our blessing.  When you complain about where you are, then you will never find the energy to get to where you need to be!  Here’s The Formula:  “Complain And Remain Or Praise And Be Raised!”  This simple phrase is a reminder to you about what is really important.  Get the right spirit and keep the right spirit – you will be glad you did!

Our Problem Is A Messed Up Perspective!  The older I get, the more I realize what an important role my perspective plays in my enjoying life or enduring life.  The way I see things really does matter and if I am seeing things in the wrong way, then I am the one that is responsible for changing the way I see things.  This is not easy, but it is very important for me and for others!

Someone said that “Perception is reality!”  I am not so sure that I agree with that!  It sounds about right as it rolls off the tongue, but I don’t think it’s altogether true!  I believe that perception unchallenged eventually becomes reality!  In other words if we accept our perception and do nothing about what is not right about it, then sure, it is going to become reality and this is going to create big problems and challenges for us.  The biggest problem is that the wrong perspective will mess up the  reality of God’s blessing!  God loves you and has an amazing plan for your life, but He does not force that plan upon you.  You have to align your life with His plans for the blessing to flow and perception plays a very big role in where and how you align your life!

The Wrong Perspective!  “I’ll never make it!” or some  version of it.  It is the ole “woe is me” rut that we often get stuck in.  When we think “I’ll never make it!”, we begin to believe we will never make it and the perception left unchallenged becomes reality and we don’t make it!  The right perspective is “God is with me – how can I not succeed???”  We are not in this thing called life alone.  We have a God, Who loves us and has an amazing plan for our lives.  As we learn to trade in our tired perspectives for His energized and living perspective, life takes on a whole new meaning!

Take two people and put them in the exact same situation of life and one will be miserable and the other flourishing!  What’s the difference?  PERSPECTIVE – how you choose to see and ultimately respond to the situation!

Take some time today to think about your perspective and how the enemy has messed with that perspective and messed with you and your future of blessing at the same time.  Think about what you can do to change your perspective, so that you are seeing things the way Your Creator created you to see them!  Change your perspective and you will change your life and quiet possibly the lives of those around you!