Step 2: Embody the 3 G’s
Mar 03, 2020
“Being joyful isn’t what makes you grateful. Being grateful is what makes
you joyful.” – Ann Voskamp
A marker of an abundant life is a thankful life! We all know what it’s like to be around people who are constantly complaining. Not only is it annoying, it’s also contagious! You know what else is contagious? Gratitude. If we can move in the opposite spirit, if we can look negativity in the face and respond with thankful, joyful hearts and words, we will begin to impact every environment we are in.
The more thankful we become, the more we will overflow with joy! It is scientifically proven that we cannot experience gratitude and depression at the same moment. Only one of these can be in our minds at the same time. We get to choose which will rule.
It takes more courage to live as an optimist than a pessimist. Pessimism provides a wall of protection around our hearts. We think we are ‘prepared for the worst’ by not getting our hopes up. We call this perspective ‘realistic’ instead of calling it by its true name ‘cynical’. Breaking down the wall of negativity exposes our hearts. It puts us in a place of risk and vulnerability. We all know this world is full of darkness and pain, but how many people can look darkness and pain in the face and choose joy and gratitude instead?
Gratitude and optimism are a higher road to walk, a more vulnerable path to take. It’s also the only road that will lead us to a life of fullness and joy. We will never grow into abundance if we aren’t willing to risk with our hearts.
What if you woke up tomorrow morning and only had the things and people you were thankful for today? This concept is a great way to jump start a long and detailed gratitude list! Make gratitude a habit every day.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Be Generous
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank
Generosity is so much more than giving away money, it’s includes being generous with your time, treasures and talents. This creates of picture of living a lifestyle of abundance. Only a person with a scarcity-mindset needs to hoard, withhold, and fear. When we walk in a lifestyle of abundance, generosity comes naturally. Any symptoms of a scarcity-mindset disappear in favor of a life lived overflowing with generosity in all areas of our lives.
Being generous with our time requires us to be intentional about setting time aside to be generous with. If our lives are consumed with selfish-ambitions, we won’t have space to be generous. Intentionally set aside time to volunteer locally, try this as a discipline in generosity.
Generosity with our treasures includes but is not limited to our finances. We can regularly choose a minimum percentage of income to give away each pay check and try to increase that amount over time. We can also share our the treasure of our homes by inviting people to come and eat with us. Anything we possess can become a vehicle for generosity if we are willing to treat it that way.
Talents can be used generously when we are willing to share them with others. A person who is good at baking could bring treats for their staff. Someone who is good at math could tutor children who are struggling. There are endless ways to be generous with our talents when we think creatively!
“Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”
Be gracious
“We may be excused for not always being bright, but we are not excused for not being gracious, yielding and considerate.” – Saint Francis de Sales
Just like the concept of generosity, we can’t give what we don’t have. In order to be gracious toward others we first have to give grace to ourselves. The things people do to trigger anger or frustration in us are often linked to areas we haven’t yet extended grace to in our own hearts.
Being gracious to ourselves and gracious to others is evidence of an abundant mindset. There is plenty of grace to go around when we allow it to flow in and through us. The grace extended to us as a free gift is a well that will never run dry. When we drink from this well we become a living invitation to abundant life.
Where can you extend kindness and compassion to yourself? Where can you extend grace to others?
“But whoever drinks the water that I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”