"Thanks a lot." It's one of the phrases that modern society has corrupted and used as a negative when it's an extremely positive phrase. You hear it used on situation comedies where they're sarcastically handling something that somebody else set up for them that they don't like or that did to them that they don't like.
Using that sarcastic tone of voice turns it into such a negative. But I've learned that it can actually be a very positive and beneficial phrase to use. The New Agers are teaching that if you don't have a good gratitude practice then you're probably feeling depressed and anxious.
Health people say that practicing gratitude and forgiveness can help you lose weight, help you feel better and see better and do better and accomplish more and be rich. But it's so funny that on one hand they use it against you by saying thanks a lot, thanks for nothing and then they turn around and use it to sell you something.
I've taken it and changed my prayers to God. Before last year my prayers tended to be like what I've heard so many times. God help me, God do this, God change this, God fix that. Now I've changed so that I pray, God thank you, and then I list the things that I'm thanking him for.
I don't sit there and a "count your blessings" thing, although you could probably call it that. But I just thank God for the different things happening in my life. I thank God for my freedom, because he's freed me from so much.
So when I say thanks, or thanks a lot, understand that it means that I'm probably truly grateful and not trying to stab somebody with a sarcastic comment.
Thanks!
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