The Attitude of Gratitude

Stress management image.

Some days it’s hard to feel grateful. The bills are piling up, the house is a mess, you just had a fight with your spouse and you’ve just missed an important deadline at the office. How can anyone feel grateful under those circumstances?

This is the time of year when people traditionally give thanks. But giving thanks, and feeling grateful, shouldn’t just be confined to one day a year. An attitude of gratitude should be a part of daily living, because no matter how bad things might seem, someone has it a whole lot worse.

We often hear, “What we focus on becomes real.” Do you focus on only the negatives in your life? Do you always see the glass as half empty? Change your focus. Make a gratitude list, right now. Take out a piece of paper and a pen and write down things for which you are grateful. Your health? Your kids? Food on the table? A home to live in? A good-paying job? Living in a nice community? The raise you got? Your son’s college acceptance? Think about it, and write your list.

Then every day…add to your list. You’ll be surprised how quickly it grows when you focus on what you’re truly grateful for, rather than what you don’t have. Make it a habit to keep an attitude of gratitude and see just how much your life can change!

 Dr. Elizabeth Asks some important questions of interest to Fairfax residents - Chiropractor Fairfax Dr. Elizabeth Asks...

What's the difference between sick care and health care?
Sick care is largely about relieving or suppressing symptoms. Health care is about improving performance. While sick care is about how you feel, health care is about how you function. Sick care is what you do to treat an obvious problem, and health care is what you do to avoid the problem and advance your well-being.
What's a side effect?
It may sound like a bonus; something extra, but chiropractors know it should more accurately called an "unintended effect," and "unwanted effect" or in some cases an "adverse effect." A pill can't come close to matching your body's ability to create and deliver the essential compounds it needs. That's when it's important to make sure your nervous system is working correctly—the purpose of chiropractic care!