Last Updated on June 20, 2024 by Michelle
I don’t often have a natural tendency to be thankful. I hate to admit it, but if I’m being honest I’ll tell you that my first response is often negative. It’s a constant battle for me to turn negative thoughts into positive ones. Turn a complaining spirit into a thankful heart.
Is it hard to be thankful?
Some days I’m more diligent than others, and yes, after years of working on it, sometimes, on rare occasions, the positive attitude is my first response to a negative situation.
I took a 4:8 challenge many years ago… based on Philippians 4:8… to work daily—no, hourly—to hold negative thoughts captive and find something–anything–in the situation that is positive.
“Whatever is true
whatever is noble
whatever is right
whatever is pure
whatever is lovely
whatever is admirable—
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—
think about such things.” -Philippians 4:8
Amazingly, if you dissect any situation, any moment, any thought, any outcome, and make a true effort, you can find something that is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.
And, as Philippians 4:9 goes on to explain, when you make that effort, you have peace. So I decided to continue to work, daily, on thankfulness and occasionally share some of the fruit of my efforts here.
btw, if you’re interested, the challenge I worked though was based on this book, the 4:8 Principle.
Here’s what it looks like.
At the very least, I try to find 3 things I’m thankful for from Philippians 4:8 when I’m feeling overwhelmed with work, disappointed in someone, or just plain cranky.
What is one thing that is right today? It’s spring and it feels like spring. (Not always the case in New England.) The sun is streaming through the gently whispering lilac leaves outside my office window,
What is one thing that is pure today? The lovely brown glass bottle I unearthed on a corner of our property this morning now sits, cleaned, on my window ledge. It was going to be permanent trash in the woods but now it’s a translucent vase and a tiny bit is better with the world.
What is one thing that is praiseworthy today? The lilac perfume soothes me, hints of birds’ chatter add a little rhythm to my step, and the sound of rippling waterfalls waft through the front porch, and remind me that soon I will be swimming in the refreshing summer water with the sun warming my face. Okay, maybe that’s more than one thing, but they all remind me how praiseworthy is the Lord, the creator of all this that makes me happy in this moment.
3 ways to encourage a thankful attitude.
It hasn’t been easy for me to change my natural tendencies, and I still fail miserably. Often. But overall it has been a life-changing experience to simply be aware of my negative thoughts and (sometimes) make an effort to change them for the better.
Here are three simple suggestions I have to help you if you too struggle with naturally being thankful.
1. Memorize the list above.
Whenever you feel yourself grumbling, turn the situation around in your mind. Upset that your morning chores are harder than they should be? Notice something lovely in the midst of them, maybe you get to see the sunrise while you work, or the cat–with her gorgeous eyes–sits and watches. Find something lovely and think about that instead of the complaining heart you naturally had.
2. Consider writing down 3 things each day.
Keeping track of simple, humdrum things you’d otherwise not even notice can rock your world. The very act of writing them down will turn your focus to a 4:8 attitude. If you want to snag a thankful journal, there are a ton out there, like this one.
You can even just jot your 3 things on your datebook each day. I love my Arc datebook, like this one, because I can have a long-running thankful list that I pop out and move to the next week until I’ve filled that page and move on to a new one.
3. Get a family member or a friend in on the challenge.
When others are in tune to a 4:8 attitude with you, you will all wind up encouraging each other. Which gives you even more to be thankful for.
Other articles you may like:
The day our barn burned down & how I found joy in the hardship.
Surviving the holidays when you’re burdened with grief & depression.
The story of our family’s move from suburbia to a 14-acre New England homestead.
And, finally, a great cookie always brings me joy. Here’s my favorite cookie recipe.
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I think a lot of us struggle with this! I like the challenge you did 🙂
I’ve only just seen this post, though I’ve been following you over a year now.
Your thought process and action tasks presented are very positive. My husband and I were greatly influenced by a book, “You Can Be Happy No Matter What” (author’s name forgotten). It demonstrated how we tend to not only think negatively, but also spread that feeling to others. Take the daily commute event where you get cut off by a driver. You are immediately angry, fume for a bit on your own in the car. Then, you recall the tale to coworkers while getting your coffee. You get angry again, and they get angry for you maybe even sharing their last bad driver story. This occurs again when you get home that evening. Now, all those people got angry over a nothing event. Instead, if you had immediately identified a reason the driver needed to drive as he/she did, “racing to the hospital for a birth”. You negate your anger and are likely to forget all about the event, never sharing it or the anger. You feel better by thinking a “good” thought.
It sounds to easy to be true, but it works. With time and practice you get better at positive thinking. Finding the “good” helps you to feel calmer and happier.
It’s interesting to read another direction to use for positive thinking. Thanks for sharing!