How to Become Grateful No Matter What

I heard this thought-provoking quote by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf a few weeks ago in this beautiful talk about the power of gratitude in any circumstances:

“How much of life do we miss by waiting for the rainbow before thanking God for rain?”

 

When I heard that, I immediately realized that I am a "rain, rain go away" singer, and definitely a rainbow waiter.  Saturday it rained all day.  I was disappointed about staying inside and expected my toddler to be too, but she was thrilled about all the things we could do inside.  She reminded me that when some opportunities are lost, different—and sometimes better—opportunities are received.  Throughout the day, she pointed out the window and cheerfully exclaimed, “Rain! Rain! Rain!”  We looked together at everything coated in water and I marveled at how much bolder the usual colors looked.  There was no arching rainbow like I would have loved to show her, but the spring greens were more vibrant, the purples richer, and the yellows even more brilliant.  And I thanked God for the rain, realizing also how much more vibrant my life is with metaphorical rain.

 

I’m coming to learn that gratitude is action before it is attitude.  These actions are helping me to become grateful no matter what:

 

Eliminate Entitlement

Greed is the opposite of gratitude, and it starts with a sense of entitlement.  There’s a story by Aesop about a goose that laid golden eggs—one egg per day.  The farmer eventually got tired of waiting for the eggs and decided there must be dozens of golden eggs inside the goose, and demanding immediate gratification, he killed the goose.  There were no eggs inside her, and no more would ever be laid.  When we feel entitled to a rainbow, we miss the beauty and practicality of the rain. Eliminate entitlement—all it takes is empathy and humility, which as C.S. Lewis said is “not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”

 

Give to be Grateful

Author Elizabeth Bibesco wrote, “Blessed are they who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.”  Givers are grateful.  Maybe it’s because service helps them to forget their own problems.  Maybe it’s because doing things for others makes them more aware of what is done for them.  Or maybe it’s because giving connects us, helping us to realize how dependent we are on each other.  Give no matter what—all it takes is making someone smile.

Quit Comparing

“Comparison is the thief of joy,” Theodore Roosevelt said.  I’m coming to learn that when we compare ourselves to others, oftentimes we’re comparing ourselves to someone wearing the same jersey.  We’re all on the same team.  That means that when one person succeeds, it doesn’t diminish our success! 

Sometimes when it’s raining, it’s easy to compare our current situation to past or future sunshine.  Those are and will be good times—but dwelling on those leads us to lose focus on our beautiful purpose in the present.  Quit comparing—all it takes is remembering who you really are.

 

See Surprises

See the beautiful surprises God has given you, and consider His joy when he sees your joy. Remember the rainbows you didn’t have to search for. See surprises—all it takes is counting the blessings you’ve been given without even asking for them.

 

Let God be God

This may be the hardest—it requires being still, trusting your unknown future to an all-knowing Heavenly Father, and remembering that no matter how heavy the downpour, the rain is always temporary.

 

And as the rain falls, do everything you can to let the light into your storm—because seeing rainbows takes rain, light, and the right perspective.