Sometimes when we are waiting on a dream or a goal to be fulfilled, we have a deep sense of longing, . It’s not very easy to be thankful, and in fact, we can feel impatient and become weary or frustrated. It’s common to find ourselves caught between worlds, especially with health problems. An attitude of gratitude may seem out of reach when your body is in pain or under attack. I get that, and want to offer some hope.
When I was a teenager, a book called, “See You at the Top” was a much treasured Christmas gift. It’s influence was so great in my life that I eventually went to Southern Nazarene University, where the author had gone to college. In this blog, I invite you to think about some of Zig Ziglar’s quotes that have propelled me into a thankful mindset.
An Attitude of Gratitude
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why it’s recommended.”
“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you. “
“You can get anything you want out of life if you help enough other people get what they want.”
“A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could, because someone else thought they could. “
“How you see your future is much more important that what has happened in the past.”
“Lack of direction, not lack of time is the problem. We all have 24 hour days.”
“Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.“
“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.”
“Life is an echo. What you send out comes back.”
“You become like the people around you.”
“Mountain climbers don’t carry bricks.”
Zig Ziglar
His words, and that book, challenged me to look within and examine my own thought life and find an attitude of gratitude. From that point on, it was useless to try and convince me that something was not possible for me. I learned that no one is a victim of any circumstance. His words pounded those ideas into my head line by line, chapter by chapter. I had several copies of the book over the years, because I kept giving it away to anyone who was stuck in life.
Knowing that our mind is our greatest tool, I fervently practiced an attitude of gratitude. Sure, there have been some hard times in my life. When people first meet me, they assume I’ve had it easy, but it’s quite the opposite. Growing up with alcoholism in my family, there were patterns of thinking that I still have to confront daily. Having one kidney, early menopause, and liver disease and cancer has not been a walk in the park. In spite of it all, I keep finding new things to be grateful for every day.
Join me and Zig Ziglar and get a “check up from the neck up” to “avoid hardening of the attitudes.” It all starts with an attitude of gratitude that is cultivated through a daily journal, or list that can jumpstart you into joy at any stage of life.
