As my husband drove through our very small town, I was in the passenger seat trying desperately to pull myself together before we arrived at the party. I was simply unhappy: so unhappy I was miserable and very close to tears.
We were getting closer and closer to our friend’s house, and I was getting closer and closer to a flood of tears. In one last attempt, I started counting my blessings. Simple right? Thankfully, for me, my husband, and everyone at the party, it worked! By the time I walked in the door of that house I was smiling and genuinely happy! I made a mental note of that day, and I told myself that I would make counting my blessings a habit.
It’s not easy to count blessings when you feel anything but thankful, but that’s no surprise. Fighting selfishness is never easy. That’s why, one day, I decided to write down the things I was most thankful for to remind myself of my biggest blessings. I wrote/typed each one on a virtual note card, and they have been such an encouragement!
I challenge each one of you, if you’ve ever struggled with unhappiness or discontent, to write 10-15 of your greatest blessings down on note cards, sticky notes, or even the notes on your phone and keep them somewhere visible as a quick reminder to be thankful. (And I have 5 good reasons why you should!)
- Happiness is a choice. That’s why when we choose to focus on our blessings, happiness is within reach.
- God has commanded us to be thankful. If we want to please God, we must come to Him with a heart of thanksgiving.
- Keeping a thankful heart and guarding your own happiness is essential to having a heart to bless and encourage others.
- Writing it down is a memory enhancer. Just the few extra seconds it takes to engage your mind long enough to write a meaningful phrase down on paper, is enough to help those words stay in your mind longer.
- A visual reminder is like a silent friend to keep you accountable.
Just for fun, and because I love printables, I made a little something to help you get started. Just print, cut, and write!
Stay encouraged! (And always thankful!)