I was talking to a friend recently who is in a tough financial spot and her attitude is amazing. Though she is a single mom with three kids to feed on an employment insurance cheque, her attitude is always thankful.

With toast for supper and a thin layer of peanut butter for protein, she is thankful for the roof over her head, the couch to sit on and the closeness of her family. As she says, “When I think of how hard today is, I just look back to where I was ten years ago. I didn’t even have this much so I am thankful.”

How does an attitude like that not melt your own problems away and make you thankful for whatever you have and not long for what you do not have. It is all a matter of what you are telling your self.

As I have told my kids for years:

If you don’t like the view, change your perspective!