Gratitude goes a long way. Not just the ability to say thank you or tokens of appreciation, but a genuine spirit of gratefulness. You know, we add value to others when we express our gratitude toward them. But even further, having a grateful heart makes us show up in life differently. We are not backbiters, or jealous of others' success. We aren't threatened by another woman's beauty, or another man's strength. Because we value what we ourselves have, and we know we can't be diminished. We engage with others more positively, and we are more inclined to seek noble and positive pursuits.  Having a grateful heart means we appreciate so much in our lives, that we aren't hindered by any setbacks or negative circumstances. For we can find the benefit in every case. That's what sparks our gratefulness. Things could always be worse. Or, as we journey towards our hopes and dreams, we can find some joy in knowing though we are not yet where we want to be, we are at least not where we were.

Gratefulness is an approach to life. We can have disdain for many things in our lives, but what good does that do? How about a genuine spirit of thankfulness for the many things we do have? Only good comes from even a little bit of time thinking like that.

I happen to believe that one of the greatest items we possess is our imagination.  God gifted us all with the ability to think and to imagine.  How do we use our imagination?  The medical advances, technological advances, overall advances in society have been the results of imagination at work.  Movies we watch, dances we enjoy, even the names of people we meet...all imagination.  Buildings, furniture, my iPhone....all the result of imagination.  We can also see imagination at work in our own lives.  We can use our imagination to solve any problem we face, or to envision any outcome for our situation.  Why not throw caution to the wind and imagine the best?  To imagine the lives we truly want to live?  Or imagine ourselves the way we truly want to be?    Why would God gift us with the ability, if we weren't supposed to use it?  God is the best example of imagination at work.  For aren't we all the result of what He imagined?  I believe our use of our imagination is the expression of Him working in us.    

Let us be unafraid to imagine.  If we want to change something, let us use our gifts, think, imagine, and come up with a means to change it.  If we want to create something, let us use our gifts, think, imagine, and create what we want to create.  Use the gift.  

How many limitations do we place on ourselves each day, through each attempt at something, through every element of our own self-evaluation?  Make your life an adventure.  Look for ways to challenge every self-imposed limitation.  Whatever you think you can't do, pursue anyway.  Give it your best shot.  Whatever others say you can't do, prove them wrong.  Every time.  Who knows the potential in you?  Who knows what you're really capable of?  I am willing to bet that we don't even know fully what we ourselves are capable of achieving.  We spend a lot of time comparing or envying because we somehow believe it's too late for us, or we're not built the right way, or we don't have the capacity.  But who says?  Sure there are things we just can't do, like change our past, or change our families.  But I love the idea of defying the odds, even my own.  It's a process for me.  I've often suffered from my own beliefs in my abilities and capacity.  But there's enough in this world that can hold us back.  Why add myself to the list? Go full force into whatever you desire.  Go in spite of the limits you believe are in front of you or even in you.  Show everyone, show yourself just what you're made of.