Author Betty Mahalik wrote that we’re surrounded by messages that scream, ‘My life would be perfect if only I’d a different job…house…car…bank account (you fill in the blank). Or if I could be like some celebrity whose life appears well ordered and perfect. Well this week I stopped playing “my life would be perfect if,” and started playing “my perfect life”. What’s the difference? Three things: 1) Being in the present; 2) An attitude of gratitude; 3) Taking action with what’s available now…When we’re caught up in the “my life would be perfect if” trap, we lose touch with the present and can no longer practise gratitude. Think about it: it’s difficult to be grateful for what you don’t have…and what you don’t have is always somewhere in “future-ville”. Look around you…do you have a roof over your head and food to eat? A few good friends or close relationships? Then appreciate them…You’re probably sitting there thinking “Yes, but I want more money, a better relationship, more time to travel, to be thinner, happier, or whatever”…stop focusing on what you lack and start focusing on what you’ve already got.’ The Bible says, ‘Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.’ If we refuse to settle for anything less than perfection, we’ll keep ending up with nothing. We’ll never have a perfect life on this earth, but that’s okay, because Christ has clothed us in His righteousness and made us ‘complete in him’ (Colossians 2:10 KJV).

What Now?

Make a list of all the things, big and small, that you’re thankful for. See how long you can make your list. (Why not let us know in the comments!)