How To Live A Grateful Life – Steps To Combat A Bad Attitude

While this “DIY” is not directly a home reno project or a beauty care technique like others we have posted, it’s even better! This DIY is actually a “both / and” because a change in attitude is like a renovation for your heart and a makeover for your inner beauty that will shine through.

Gratitude is something I’m very passionate about because I believe it can transform our perspective. No matter what season we are in, if we can find something to be thankful for, we will see our attitudes change and we will find that we will be less irritable. Without fail. If we can train ourselves to be grateful, our lives will be richer and our days will be more peaceful.

To start us off, here are some of my favorite gratitude quotes and bible verses about gratitude that I made into wallpapers. I find that when I have something right in front of my face reminding me what to keep my focus on, I do better at not forgetting it, haha. Feel free to save them and use them as a background on your phone.

Steps to Combat a Bad Attitude

Step 1: Interrupt Your Mood With Gratitude

There are many moods that can shift our focus away from gratitude. Maybe we’re stressed or angry, maybe we’re frustrated or sad. Sometimes it’s something someone said or the way they treated us that can set us off, or other times it’s just our circumstances that have us in a funk. What’s important to remember is that no matter what the situation is, we have the control on how we respond to it. We can choose to respond negatively, or we can choose to not let it get to us.

The moment you realize something is putting you in a bad mood, stop that! You have the power to halt it and interrupt it with gratitude. Don’t let it linger any longer! Sometimes we allow ourselves to wallow in the funk too long and it ends up stealing more of our time, energy and focus than it deserves. It doesn’t deserve the power to bring you down – so don’t let it.

Step 2: Breathe It In & Breathe It Out

You know that saying, “what you put in is what you get out”? It’s pretty true. If we fill our minds and our hearts with complaint or discouraging thoughts, that’s what we will end up putting out as well. Fill your life with things that encourage you and remind you what you should be focused on. I often times will google topics in Scripture that will remind me of why I should be grateful or how I should be living. Sometimes I even go on Pinterest and look up quotes that are inspiring and uplifting. Many times the right music will even shift my mood. For me, it’s usually either worship music that I can sing to the Lord or Latin music that makes me dance. Whatever is your method, be active in breathing in gratitude so that you can then breathe it out.

Step 3: Write It Down

Did you know you become 42% more likely to achieve your goals and dreams simply by writing them down on a regular basis? Apparently, if you think about a goal or a dream, you use the right hemisphere of your brain which is your imaginative side. But if you write it down, you tap into your logic based left hemisphere. It’s pretty crazy. So journaling is more than just therapeutic. Write out the things you are thankful for so that they sink in and so you can go back and remember them. Write down the ways you intend to be more grateful so that your left hemisphere will grab it.

Step 4: Say It Out Loud

Our goal should be that we are putting more good into the world than bad, right? Same goes with attitudes and the things we say. Sure, we can share our frustrations with a family member or friend we trust and we can let it out. There’s nothing wrong with that. But also…we should make a conscious effort to speak gratitude! Make sure that you’re expressing your gratitude more than you are complaining. I love love love that quote that says, “Complaint is poverty. Gratitude is riches.“. It is SO TRUE. I would way rather spend my thoughts and my conversations with people on things I’m thankful for instead of the things that bother me. Again, it’s important to share our burdens with one another, but it’s even more important to speak our gratitude! Spread more positive vibes out into the world!

Step 4: Repeat As Often As Necessary

It’s the best habit to have! Make a habit of gratitude.

Bonus Tips To Combat A Bad Attitude

• Take a nap: Maybe you’re just tired?
• Hang with good people: Our parents were right – you do become who you hang out with. If you surround yourself with negative people, you will have a hard time staying positive.
• Do a little dance: It’s hard to be mad while you’re dancing. Aye.
• Workout: Exercise can relieve stress, improve memory, help you sleep better, help with depression and boost your overall mood.

I’ve made it a goal to live a life of gratitude. I don’t always do it right and I know there will probably be more difficult times ahead, but what I also know is that I am loved by the Creator of Universe and because of that, I have everything to be grateful for.