Greetings my esteemed friends. I trust each and everyone of you doing is fine and doing great things in your individual endeavors. To the extent you feel you are not doing well, please be happy for the effort you are investing in your life endeavors, it will pay off in due time. Just be glad you are making headway even though you are making mistakes, be glad because you are learning. Whether you are in business, academic, private sector, government or entertainment industry, please give thanks to your creator, appreciate him for the grace he has showered on you. If you want to know the value and importance of thanksgiving, gratitude, and appreciation, please look at the life a beggar; a man without a shoe; a man without legs;  a hungry man with no food for himself and his family; a man without a job; a man without good health; a man without parents; a man without hope; a man in dire need of oxygen to survive; and most especially a man  on the point of death grasping for health. The list is indeed endless.

Today, I decided to write about gratitude and appreciation because we are the season of Thanksgiving in the United States of America. Gratitude and appreciation is a way of life.It’s quite unfortunate many people have not been able to come into real terms with the inherent secret that comes with gratitude and appreciation. It’s pertinent to note that, every day of our life ought to be spent in thanksgiving and appreciation. This is because as human beings, we are always worried and concerned about what we are lacking as supposed to appreciating what we have. Human beings always fail to understand that what they have is more than what they are lacking. In order for us to understand this article in detail, we shall be seeing this article from a thanksgiving and attitude perspective.

When used in the spiritual context, appreciation and gratitude can be seen as a  form of worship. This is because we are giving praises to the creator of Heaven and earth for all he has given to us. Let’s think of people who don’t have eyes, but you have eyes, people who are deaf and dumb, but you can hear and talk, people who don’t have arms and legs, but you have complete hands and legs, people who are suffering from deadly disease, but you have health.  Many people are not privileged to have university education,  or even a High School Diploma otherwise know as Secondary School in Africa, but you have been opportuned to have gotten some decent education.  As rational beings, we are always expected to thank the creator of heaven and earth regardless of our predicament. In fact, we were taught in the church to always give glory to God regardless of our condition and situation. It’s by so doing you will humble the devil and haters who wouldn’t like to see you succeed in life.

When used as a form of thanksgiving, appreciation and gratitude can be seen from the angle of service to humanity. Thanksgiving in this context shouldn’t be seen from a literal context, rather it should be seen from a testimonial context. In order to understand this, assume that you are have been believing God for an opportunity in your professional career, business, or any productive venture which you have invested time and resources, but it’s yet to see the light of the day as expected, but all of a sudden you seem to have had a breakthrough. Beloved friend, you owe testimony to humanity and your creator in form of thanksgiving appreciation. Isn’t it true that what you are is God’s gift to you and what you become is your gift to God and humanity? I have always told my friends who care to listen to always celebrate their success nor matter how little it may be.During my formative years in the United States of America, I have been exposed to all manner of work which is limited to working in security firms, law firms, private organizations and cooperate organizations. I have always wondered when will I find permanent professional job that tallies my talent, skill and passion. It wasn’t long before I found an opportunity with New York Department of Homeless Services as a Case Manager. It is such act like this that we are called to celebrate life and testify for his goodness in our lives. Moral: A few years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to comprehend and articulate this concept, but  I have come to realize that,  the little things of life are always shaping us for the future life, and so, I owe it to God and humanity to show appreciation and gratitude for all they have truly blessed me.

When used as a means of securing wealth, appreciation and gratitude can be likened to the universal law of wealth creation. This is because we are meant to believe that gives never lack and he who seeks to spray perfume on another person will surely leave a fragrance on his hand. Isn’t it true that givers never lack and the beggar’s hand is always underneath to receive while the giver’s hand is always on top? The Book of life teaches us that out of the ten lepers that were cured, only one came back to offer prayers and thanksgiving and in-turn he was richly blessed by God.

The fastest way to receive benefits and blessings from successful people especially kings is by giving them gifts. Giving of gifts have been likened to one of the secrets to wealth. For example, ladies tend to respond positively when they receive gifts from men. As per Gary Chapman, we have five love language namely: Time, gifts, services, physical touch, and words affirmation. A  rational man with the right sense can always attract any lady of his choice if he knows his onions very well using the five love languages.

Furthermore, in the United States of America, Thanksgiving holiday is seen as a major holiday. It’s a time family members and friends come together to celebrate. Personally, I see Thanksgiving as a time of stock keeping. A time to evaluate my life from where I was last month, last quarter, and last year. In that way, I will be properly informed as to the level of success I have been able to garner overtime. Personally, this is the second most important meaning of Thanksgiving (stock taking). I will therefore strongly advise and recommend each and everyone of you to always evaluate your life styles by using rubrics to know where you were in the past, and where you are now, and where you need to be. It doesn’t matter where you are today, all that is necessary, are you making any effort to better your life? It should be noted that, if you are not flying, you should be running, if you are not walking, you should be crawling and if you are not crawling, at least you be making a form of movement. Moral: Make it a point of duty to always try to better yourself than you were yesterday.

In order you for you to achieve whatever you want in life, certain principles and philosophy are essential. The first is having love for yourself, love for what you do, and unconditional love for humanity.  The second is passion, the third is happiness, and the fourth is having a grateful heart. When you have these four ideologies at the back of your mind, you will definitely achieve whatever you want in life using the law of attraction. You can never underestimate the power and influence of gratitude and appreciation in the life of any progressive-minded person.  I have come to the sublime realization that in life, all great men are men of gratitude. I have never seen a successful person that is not grateful. Isn’t it true that a rich man is considered poor when he lacks contentment, and a poor man is considered a rich man when he’s content with what he has.

Just like prayer is the way of communicating with God in order to attract blessings, same way gratitude and appreciation is a way we can attain riches and wealth.  I am a living witness of gratitude, I have always been complaining of not having a good job. I worked in various security firms, worked as a consultant receiving bonus and commission, worked in law firms receiving meager pay as dues for learning the job. My heart was so heavy that I had to engage him in a very detailed conversation with one of my versatile mentors why life is treating me in such irrational manner. In fact, in numerous times I asked him why is life is so unfair to me?  His simple response was whatever you are going through now is what God planned for you. You don’t know what if he’s using to prepare a way for some other persons coming after you. This are all stories you will tell later in life. He said “Henry, you can never rush God, if you like cry to the world, connect to all world leaders and do whatever you have to do, God will simply be watching you, laughing and smiling at you saying, look at this foolish man acting like he has control over life;  he said, this take  this or leave it, when God is ready, he will attend to you and it is at that time you will know, he’s God and nobody can stop you  at that point in time. He finally advised me, let me give you a secret solution out of this concern you have, every day you wake up from sleep, after your morning devotion, write ten things you are grateful for and see what will happen to you. Thank him for the job you have. Many of your mates don’t even have any job. Thank him you are in USA, a land of opportunity.”  I simply obeyed him and it didn’t take long I got a better opportunity. Comrade, I don’t know what’s your status quo is at the moment, but what I can tell you is, please always be grateful to God and humanity by writing ten things you are grateful for daily. It can be Lord, I thank you for my health, friends, family, job, knowledge, understanding sound sleep, I’m alive etc. It is only by so doing, you’ll be able to reap goodwill, opportunities and graces upon your life.I’m proud to say, I am a student of gratitude because gratitude has really transformed my life. Please try this and thank me later.

Thanks for reading though. Please let me know your thoughts. Let’s live well and succeed in life.