Smile with a Grateful Heart

I think that sometimes, we fall into this trap where we want to live up to the expectations of others--and if we do not, we feel that we have failed. Sometimes, even we have expectations for ourselves that may be a little bit overboard. It is something that I think every human being deals with at certain times in their lives.
One thing I have learned is that you can't expect to be like anyone other than yourself; and you shouldn't be. We are all individual people with individual talents and dreams. We all have our own ways with dealing with certain situations or with life in general.
It is not good to envy the talents of another person, because what they have, you may never have...but you will always have something just as good, even if it is something very different. God gives us each our own gifts, and we must use those gifts in the way that he has intended. I read in a book that 'he who has only one gift and takes it for granted, wishing he had someone else's gift, shall not be blessed...but he who has one gift and accepts and uses it shall be blessed with many other gifts as he lives his life with a grateful heart.'
Gratitude...it is something that many people do not give. In this world, in these times, the 'self' has such a high importance to most people living today. Gratitude is something 'of the past' that is not given much thought anymore. Gratitude is something special...and when it is given, it shines brightly throughout the world.
Just a simple thank you to someone can make that person smile with their heart, and want to spread that gratitude to other people they may meet. Like laughter, like love--gratitude is contagious...and the more that goes around, the more peace and harmony there exists within us...

With much gratitude to you and others, I leave my thoughts here.

Thank you,

Ashley