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Thankfulness: or an Attitude of Gratitude

I know, I know, the 'attitude of gratitude' phrase has been used repeatedly and is borderline cliché at this point.  However, indulge me for just a moment please.  We're going somewhere with this post, and the phrase fits in so well with what I want to say that I felt it was worth including.

A while back (honestly, I don't really remember how when I "officially" started), I undertook the task of learning Korean.  A lot of people have asked me why I chose Korean, and I am afraid I don't really have any particular reason other than I randomly found a Twitter account for Talk to Me in Korean, thought it looked interesting, and decided to go for it.  I also am a huge fan of Korean beauty products, so being able to read the labels without translation seemed pretty nifty too. 

In the first lesson from TTMIK (Talk to Me in Korean), two phrases are introduced, which are 'hello' and 'thank you'.  

I'm sure you know by now which one I'm planning to discuss at length here by now, right? ;)

Note: all phrases/explanations of the Korean terms are taken from Level one, lesson one by TTMIK.  Just so we're clear, and to give credit where credit is due.  

'Thank you' in Korean is '감사합니다', which is composed of two phrases/words.  The first is '감사' (gamsa), and '합니다' (hamnida). 

감사 means 'appreciation, thankfulness, gratitude', and 합니다 means 'I do, I am doing'.

Therefore, 감사합니다, though it translates to the formal/polite 'thank you', can also be seen as 'I am appreciative, I am grateful, I am thankful', etc.  The 'I am doing' part indicates that it's an action, something that is actively being expressed or exhibited. 

Thus the title of the post, and the use of the 'attitude of gratitude'.  Thankfulness is an action, an attitude.  We should strive to constantly be in the state of mind of thankfulness, regardless of what situation that we may be in.  It sounds cliche but there truly is always something to be thankful for. 

I know sometimes its difficult to see the good, especially when things look bleak and discouraging.  But that's when this attitude or act of thankfulness should come in.  Look for the 'silver lining', the little things, no matter how small it may be, and start there.  Be thankful for an especially pretty leaf, or the great song that just came on the radio.  Start small and work up from there. 
I'm not saying that it's easy, and I know I fail miserably at it at times.  It's an effort that must be made, and one that I am striving to implement more often. 

Today is Thanksgiving in the USA, hence this post.  However, thankfulness is something that should be practiced every day, not just once a year.  The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:20 says "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

Always.
Every day.
Every hour.
Every minute.
Always.

This post is a bit of a mess, but I hope you understand what I'm trying to get across.  Look for something to be thankful for every day, put on that attitude of gratitude, and see what happens.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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