Being Thankful and Forgiving Others.

I had a lunch with a friend this past Friday and was telling me of some good things he learned down at BYU Education Week.  One of things he learned was about being grateful.  The Lord has provided everything there is for us here on earth.  We should not go through life and not be grateful for what we have.  When we realize what we are grateful for then our life will improve and we will be a happier person.  There are some ways that we can do to help us to be better grateful.

Long term: 

• Writing a Grateful Journal. To put what you are grateful for that day or week.  For example, "For living in a house", "Having a wonderful family", "Having a compliment from my boss" etc. Then you can see as you write in it, that of how much stuff small or big that you have been for that day or week. 
• Grateful Breathing You inhale a good deal and then as you exhale you think of a gratitude and say it in your mind.  Do it 3 or 4 times.  It helps when you are having a bad thought and will train the brain to automatic to think of that thought when that thought comes again.  Be specific in what you say, don't be to general. 

Short term.

• Write a letter Take the time to take out a piece of paper and pen and write to a specific person on how they have been a grateful person to you.  It will be a blessing to that person to know that they actually made someones day as well as the person writing it to know that the person is happy to be part of their life.  It would be preferred if you hand write instead of an email. 

By doing these things your health will improve, your mind will be clearer, you will be more happy in life and have more self control over what your mind and emotions are.  You will still have trials in life but by doing this and being grateful will let the Lord know and will bless you ever more. 


As you are grateful for the things you have you want to be a better person by forgiving those who you have hurt along the way.  Its sad that we live in a world where people may hurt someone in what ever way.  The old saying "Stick and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt".  How many times have we heard that saying when we young? I know I have heard that saying many a times.  The truth is that words do hurt just as much as sticks and stones.  Saying to someone something mean hurts their feelings and enough times being told that they start to think that its true, when in truth it isn't. There is no justification of being mean to someone wither they be friend or foe.  Asking forgiveness is a part of the process of being sorry to that person.  It makes one a better person to say that they are sorry. 

I would like to say that I'm sorry for anyone that I may have hurt their feelings.  I know that the Lord loves everyone and if we are to be a better people, nation, country and world, we need to ask for forgiveness for those who we have hurt and leave it up to that person to accept or reject it.