(This is an excellent article that can't be repeated and/or learned enough!!!)

Practicing the Power of Positive Thanking

 When we take the time to say ‘thank you’ not only are our own spirits
expanded but those we thank are also enlarged and delighted. Thus the simple act
of gratitude results in a double blessing.

Gratitude is always a characteristic of those who live happy,
healthy and fulfilled lives. Charles Simmons said, “Our thanks should be as
fervent for mercies received, as our petitions for mercies sought.” 

Here are some ways to practice the power of positive
thanking. 

Go public with gratitude. If someone did something which
encouraged and cheered you, then it is sure to do the same for others, so tell
your family, friends, neighbors and work colleagues.

Express gratitude for things. Too often we take for granted
common items in our daily living which bring us comfort and security. In his
book, How To Want What You Have, Timothy Miller describes his thanks for an old,
battered chair. Recognizing what it meant to him, he said, “This chair has
supported me through the writing of a senior thesis, a master’s thesis, a
doctoral dissertation and three versions of this book, not to mention hundreds
of professional reports. It has supported me while I’ve read countless books and
magazines. I have sat comfortable in it while I laughed, cried and rocked my
babies to sleep. It has never required a repair, never frustrated me in any
way.”

Count your blessings...no matter what! Don’t allow some
hardship and difficulty to distort your vision. No matter how much may be
challenging and complicated in your life, train yourself to focus on what is
good, beneficial and positive.

Minister Jack Hinton was on a mission trip leading worship at
a leper colony on the island of Tobago. A woman who had been facing away from
the pulpit turned around. “It was the most hideous face I had ever seen,” Hinton
candidly said. “The woman’s nose and ears were entirely gone. She lifted a
fingerless hand in the air and asked, ‘Can we sing Count Your Blessings?’”

Overcome with emotion, Hinton left the service. He was
followed by a team member who said, “I guess you’ll never be able to sing that
song again.” Hinton responded: “Oh, yes I will, but I’ll never sing it the same
way!” 

Look for the gold in the lead. Maintaining a spirit of
gratitude isn’t always easy. When stormy times come your way, try to spot the
rainbow behind the cloud, the gold in the lead and the good in the bad. That
which we judge to be unfortunate, tragic and even evil can teach us our deepest
lessons and bring us our greatest rewards. God indeed does work in mysterious
ways.

Perhaps your life is riddled with cracks just now –
difficulties, disappointments, trials, trying people. Rather than just wish
those troubles away, imagine that each crack is allowing some light to shine
through. In other words, try to identify the good which is disguised in the
hardship.

If you are struggling with an unhappy relationship, ask
yourself: Are there ways this is forcing me to grow and develop?

If you are sidelined with an illness or injury, ask yourself:
Is this an opportunity for me to rest and work on my inner self?

If you have experienced a major setback, ask yourself: Now
that one door has closed, what steps can I take to open other doors and move in
new and more interesting directions? 

Or, if you have recently become separated or divorced, ask
yourself: What can I learn from this experience which will empower me to have a
more loving and satisfying relationship in the future?

Be thankful for things that go right. In a world where so
many things go wrong, express profound gratitude for things that go right.
Develop a litany of praise over things that are right with you by silently
thinking these words:

I am thankful for long periods of good health.

I am thankful for a reliable vehicle.

I am thankful for an old friendship which grows stronger with
time.

I am thankful for new friends who introduce me to new ways of
growth.

I am thankful for a comfortable apartment/home.

I am thankful for work which meets my financial needs.

I am thankful for an education which has opened good
doors.

I am thankful for doctors, nurses and hospitals, readily
available if and when I need them.

I am thankful that every day I have access to a warm bed and
a hot meal.
Obviously a list like this can go on and on. The point is to express our
gratitude to everything good, noble and beautiful in our lives – from the music
that enchants and the movie which lifts our spirits to the air conditioner which
stands up to the season’s wear and tear.