Lesson for October 9, 2016

Lesson for October 9, 2016 Today the lesson was given by Suzy Sullivan, our Relief Society president on “Gratitude.” She has been thinking about this topic a lot lately. A Brother Huntington at BYU said that gratitude turns a house into a home and makes sense of our past, and our present, as well as giving sense to our future. Our thoughts influence our lives, so being grateful is a huge influence on our happiness. Suzy said once a friend told her of her blessings and Suzy felt a little jealous. She was angry with herself because she felt like she shouldn’t feel like that. Anti-gratitude feelings can make us unhappy, while gratitude can make us feel happy. Brother Huntington also said in a ten-week study wehre some were asked to include ten things they were grateful for, another group just went about their lives, another group focused on the negative. At the end, they were rated on health and happiness. The gratitude group was happier and had better health and even exercised more by at least 25% more than the other group. Those who kept a gratitude journal had many better aspects of their lives. They didn’t have to change anything, except writing down things to be grateful for. Negative thoughts consume you. If you try to be more positive every day, your day will be better. People who complain a lot are likely to fail, while people who are positive are more likely to succeed. If you give a child four positives to every negative, they will be more likely to change. It gets really simple sometimes to focus on the positive. Alma 37:37 it says that when you rise in the morning, let your thoughts be full of joy. Thinking of one positive thing in the morning can bring in the Spirit. One sister said she had a woman while they lived in Egypt and she found this woman blessing the blender because she said she had a time when she didn’t have one—and the washing machine, and other things. The woman was so happy. Gratitude has a way of making us focus on what is most important. One sister said when she was pregnant during the summer, she experienced gratitude for the first time when there was cold weather. Suzy told of one person who had a house he was not as fine as he wanted. His family went to a family home evening at a neighbor’s house that was large and the neighbor complained that their house was not good enough. So, the man knew he needed to be grateful for what he had and not complain. We need to be happy with what we have. Adele Hickman said a class was told to just make a prayer of gratitude without tacking on needs. Elder Holland said that the success of others does not diminish him, so we need to focus on what is good in our lives. What action should we take to make our lives better. Envy and jealousy are the opposite of love and we all need love every day. If we feel love for others, the darkness of envy and jealousy will leave. Then every day is a joy. When you’re feeling down, the best medicine is serving someone else. The grass is always greener where you water it. If you focus on your blessings, you have more blessings. Even if we say hi to someone, it may light up their day and that might be the only light they have that day. Brother Huntington said to keep a gratitude journal and think on the day and remember what is good. A gratitude tree during the November season was good for one family, where they cut out leaves and wrote things they were grateful for and put them on the tree, was encouraging. Chelsea Jolley said she needs to focus more on the tender mercies in the Book of Mormon. She thinks that if she notices them more in scripture, she can feel them in her life. So, now she tags them in her scriptures and she is noticing more little things in her life that are working out better—especially that it’s the Lord’s plan so it will work. Brother Huntington said to add more thank-yous to your vocabulary. It can work in all areas of your life, even the grocery store or other places. We need to notice more often, even the small things, and people around us will work better and be happier. Joni Trewartha said most people who called her in her job call to complain, and she always ends the call with a thank-you and their attitude changes. When your baby starts learning to talk teaching them words to say thank you and bless you, they become more socially aware and can communicate better. It does make a difference in their success. One sister said her mother was grateful for changing diapers because it meant the children’s little bodies actually work and they are eating enough or drinking enough. It’s also good to write thank you notes. Thank you notes are so rare that they stand out and really bless the recipient. Lisa Anderson writes thank you notes to manufacturers and actually gets them to answer and offer her products to try. A handwritten note is precious and powerful. Heather Cantrell said she gave a thank you note and a box of candy to the firemen who helped her son when he died. They still have that note on their wall. Be thoughtful and live in the blessed moment. Also, give thoughtful prayers and focus on gratitude in your life.