By Mark Briggs
he best-kept secret to a satisfying life can be found in two words – "Thank you." Strange as it seems, focusing on giving something sets you up to get something. Give thanks and get fulfilled in so many ways. However, I'm not just talking about dumping words of gratitude on an already jammed verbal thoroughfare. No, it's more than thanksgiving. The secret is in Thanks-Living.
Thanks-Living is life with an attitude of appreciation. A life in which, if you’re thinking, you’re thanking!
Life is what you call it! We often call disappointing and painful situations failures. However, when you THINK about it, is there ever a time when failure is not a product of our own labeling? It is only our labeling that creates failures. Otherwise, there is only growing and learning. Neither of which bears any resemblance to failure.
Even things that break your heart can fix how you see things. My friend would often say, “Even a broken watch is right twice a day.” Now that’s the kind of thinking that produces Thanks-Living! You can be “thinkful” that it’s a broken watch or “thankful” that it’s correct occasionally.
A life of “thank you” is appropriate in any situation, and it is a better response than most of the things we tend to say and certainly better than what we often think.
When in doubt, let Thanks-Living out!
She said your shirt is an odd color
Thank you, I said, credit to my mother
The horn honked with an explicit
Thank you! I said and swerved to miss it.
The waitress brought Coke instead of tea
Thank you, I said, and she made it free
The line was long, and I was so weary
Thank you, I said, and to the sundae was added a cherry.
Two simple words that work every time
When they’re part of your life and not just a line
Thank you, words meant for giving
Live in a life of Thanks-Living!
Say thank you more! In the history of humankind, no one has ever said it or had it spoken to them too much. If there’s ever a time when you don’t know what to say, “thank you” will work almost every time. You can win a lot of arguments about how good a person you are by how good you are at Thanks-Living.
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)