Allowing Gratitude to Alter Our Perspective

Gratitude and contentment go hand in hand. 

We feel contentment when we are satisfied such as when we complete a project, after a fine meal or when we are in the company of someone we enjoy being with. 

As a result of contentment we feel a sense of gratitude. We feel thankful for the ability to complete a project, grateful for the fine meal we ate and a deep appreciation for the person who we like to be with.

But it can go the other way too. Gratitude can produce contentment. When we are grateful for those we spend time with, when we are thankful for the endeavors we’ve completed 

we also feel a sense of contentment. 

It doesn’t matter which one came first; contentment or gratitude. What matters most is that we are aware of how our thinking produces them and at the same time, alters our perspective from being ungrateful and discontented.

Discontentment can have a powerful pull on our thoughts and can lead us to dissatisfaction, restlessness, unhappiness and ungratefulness. Dissatisfaction tells us we need something more, something different, something else in order to be grateful. 

But, what if while feeling discontented I consider gratitude? What if I ask myself, “Is there something I can be grateful for right here, right now in the midst of what seems to be making me feel dissatisfied?

 For example, presently, there is stress, estrangement and confoundedness surrounding a relationship with a close family member. But instead of allowing the discontentment to dominate the landscape of my mind, I can allow myself to be grateful that not all my relationships are like that, only one in particular. 

Consequently, instead of focusing on the one relationship where there doesn’t seem to be any way of making a connection, I can find contentment and gratitude in those relationships where I am connected, where there is growth and that can be nurtured. 

Why Bother?

Why bother allowing gratitude to alter our perspective? When we focus on what we can be grateful for then our outlook will be one of gratitude and contentment.

P.S.  I wrote the story of my journey to forgiveness for those who, like me, know they need to change, but are not quite sure where to start. You can find A Heart’s Journey To Forgiveness at Redemption Press and Amazon.