An Attitude of Gratitude

By Mary Jeppson

      My old worn and tattered dictionary defines Attitude as “1. Position of the body, as suggesting some thought, feeling, or action. 2. State of mind, behavior, or conduct regarding some matter, as indicating opinion or purpose.” Gratitude is defined as “Appreciation or thankfulness for having received any favor, kindness, good fortune, etc.”   Next, I decided to look up thanksgiving.  “1. The act of giving thanks, as to God; an expression of gratitude. 2 A public celebration in recognition of divine favor; also, a day set apart for such celebration.”

      The Catholic Dictionary defines gratitude as “The virtue by which a person acknowledges, interiorly and exteriorly, gifts received and seeks to make at least some return for the gift conferred. Essentially gratitude consists of an interior disposition…a grateful heart….”

      “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”  - Melody Beattie –

      Over the years I’ve read articles on attitude and gratitude. The common thread is that we have a choice each day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the past, how other people act or the inevitable. We can only control how we view and react to things. We are in charge of our attitude. When we intertwine gratitude with our attitude and seek the Holy Spirit, our eyes and hearts will be open to see all the abundance and love we have in our lives.

      How do we change our attitude to one of gratitude? Many people have started gratitude journals along with a prayer journal. Each night they write several things in which they are grateful for that day. This act of thankfulness brings an awareness of the love and abundance we have in our lives. Others have a tradition that when they sit down for dinner each person tells what they are grateful for that day. However, a prayer of thanksgiving with a grateful heart can say it all as well. We can all strive to have an attitude of gratitude!

The Readers Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary 1966

Catholic Dictionary   John A. Hardon, S.J.