Gratitude is a wonderful motivator when you need cooperation. When enlisting the help of my two year old，I praise him often and with enthusiasm. I let him know that he is a great helper. I know I am teaching him appreciation because he expresses it to me. The other day I brought a bunch of multicolored roses home. For five days，at least once or twice a day，my son thanked me for the flowers.
Sometimes we get so busy and caught up in daily life that we forget to be grateful. We expect everyone to do their share without being asked. The only time anyone hears anything is when a chore has not been completed. This attitude，over the long haul，will develop very resentful and uncooperative family members.
When life is good，gratitude is easy. It becomes more challenging to be grateful when we are experiencing hard times. Financial hardship，long-term illness，the death of a loved one and marital strife can all be trying and difficult. It is hard to find anything to be grateful for. But while pain is inevitable，suffering is optional. We have a choice in how we view our circumstances. We can turn our hearts to God and trust that he has a plan for us. We can be thankful for the lessons we learn and the opportunities for personal growth and transformation. Look at all the people in this world who share the gifts they received during especially difficult times of their life. It is the painful times of my life that have made me stronger，wiser，and more loving today.