It’s been one week since I started the 30 days of thankfulness challenge. How are you doing? If you missed a few days, there is still time to catch up!

If you missed last weeks post, follow the link here to join the challenge!

I hope that over the last week you’ve seen how there is always something to be grateful for! Have you noticed any patterns? Did anything repeat itself? Let me know in the comments!

When we start acknowledging the things we can be grateful for, it allows us to shift our focus. I think we can all admit that we need focus in our lives. We need something to keep our eyes fixed on so that we don’t lose hope.

Did you know that when we express gratitude our brains release dopamine and serotonin, which immediately affect your mood? Once those chemicals are released, your body starts to feel more cheerful. Simply by expressing gratitude, our entire outlook changes.

You can choose to stay focused on the areas of your life that aren’t all that great, or you can choose to look at the areas of life that bring you joy.

Philippians 4:6 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” This tells me that if I want to live with less anxiety, and if I want to bring my wants and needs to God, than I have to be thankful.

It makes sense right? Being grateful isn’t just a corny idea, but it changes the things we want and need. When I approach God with thankfulness first and my wants second, I begin to realize that the things I want aren’t always that important. My list of wants lessens when my thankfulness increases, because my focus shifts from what I don’t have to what I do. I have to make the choice to make the shift.

When life seems overwhelming and there seems to be nothing to be grateful about, how do we make the shift to gratefulness?

First, start small. Name one thing to be grateful about. Start simple. Be grateful for air to breath, or a heart beat.

Then, find something else. Yes, it can be as silly as a warm shower, or a cup of coffee.

Keep going. The more you can find to be grateful about, the more you will realize that you’ve made the shift. It doesn’t have to be big things. It can be small, silly things, but the more you think of things to be grateful for, the easier it will become.

Here’s my next challenge for you: the next time you have something to pray about, a need or a want or a concern, take a second and find something to be grateful for, and thank God for that first. After you are done with that, then see if you still need to ask whatever you had planned.