Practicing Gratitude

I thought I was a pretty grateful person. I took moments to reflect upon the things that brought me joy. I said Thank You and meant it. I tried to do little things for people to show them I was grateful to have them in my life. But, something was off. My moments of grateful reflection became quick and easily forgotten when people said or did something I didn't like. My Thank Yous waned. I began to harbor resentment for the little things I did because I felt the act wasn't being reciprocated... well, it was more like I felt people were expecting these little things and therefore didn't see them as something done especially for them. And then BAM. The ugly truth of my gratefulness hit me. 

Some of this time I wasn't really being grateful. Some of this time I was hoping my being grateful would make the people around me more grateful too which in turn would mean they would do things for me. My grateful mindset became twisted. Being grateful means being grateful and that's it. Thank you, hands, for helping me type up this post. That's grateful. Thank you, hands, for helping me type up this post and when you can't type tomorrow then you are faulty and bad. That's not grateful. I'm hoping a weekly gratitude practice will get me back on track... back on track to being grateful and truly appreciating the things in my life as they are. 

The Grateful List
1. The sun shining and making my outside adventures warm and bright 

2. My legs(although spider veiny and chubby-kneed) allowing me to walk here,     there, and almost everywhere

3. My hubby's goodbye-I'm-off-to-work kiss in the morning because to me it         means he loves me(and that we are having a non-argument day so far)

4. Yummy cheesy,tortellini leftovers in the fridge 

5. Not dwelling in what I'm doing wrong, but instead attempting to do               something different