When Will We Ever Stop Asking and Start Thanking?

I was this extremely selfish person who used to pray and bribe God only when I needed something. "God! Please help me pass this exam and I'll break 10 coconuts for you if I pass" would be my unceasing prayer and of course, once I got what I wanted, the rest would be conveniently forgotten. So typical isn't it?
Last night when my mom and I were debating about how people change and why they do, she asked me a question which made me think and analyze my relationship with God. Here is a part of the conversation:
My Mom: Talking about people changing, what do you do when you get what you want? You forget to thank God and acknowledge God's presence in your life. That is you changing for your convenience. So why do you get hurt when others do that?
Me: Ya whatever! Say what you want. (which meant I had nothing to say since she was right)
It made me analyze the kind of person I was.  We talk about being courteous to people and the first thing we learn as a child, is to say Thank You. Why don't we do that when it comes to God? Do we, or I in specific take God for granted? Am I that selfish to ignore The One above who has stood by me during all my tough times? Why is it that I resort to praying and seeking for guidance and help during tough times and ignore God when all is well?
There are many reasons to pray. But my reason would be to thank him for all that he has given me.
So from today, I've decided I would thank God everyday for the life I have and for the people in my life. A second spent thanking God is well spent. This Diwali, instead of asking for material things, I would use the Lakshmi Pooja Pack (http://www.pureprayer.com/) to thank God for all that he has given me (especially for giving me my mom without whom I wouldn't have realized this!).
Finally, I end this post with a quote from Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, "Think about the good times. Let that be what sticks with you." And let that be what you thank God for, everyday.
This blog post is an entry for a contest titled "Everyone has a Reason to Pray".