Our minds have a marvelous capacity
to notice the unusual.
However, the opposite is true as well
The more often we see the things around us--
Even the beautiful and wonderful things--
The more they become invisible to us.
That's why we often take for granted the
beauty of this world.
The flowers, the trees--
the buds, the clouds--
Even those we love.
Because we see things so often--
We see them less and less.
Those who live in Thanksgiving daily, however,
Have a way of--
Opening their eyes--
And seeing the wonders and beauties of this world--
As though seeing them for the first time.
Look around you.
Notice the people you care about.
Notice the fragrance of the flowers and
the song of the birds.
Notice and give thanks for the blue of the sky--
The red of the leaves and the white of the clouds--
Every sight, every smell, every taste, every sound.
When we open our eyes and give thanks for the bountiful
beauty of this land.
We live in Thanksgiving daily.
A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude
to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around
us for all that they bring into our lives.
This requires conscious effort, at least until we have
truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude.