GRATITUDE

Gratitude is a term being tossed around so much that I feel like it has lost some of its efficacy. Nonetheless, it has brought such fruitfulness into my life that I want to speak of it as well. And, this is the perfect season to be open to all that there is to be grateful for! 

The journey through life is so much sweeter when we acknowledge what we do have, what we are thankful for, even if we have to dig deep to find something or someone to be thankful for. As our brain is wired to look out for danger and protect us it is hyper focused on what is not working, what we do not have. Until we take charge of managing our thoughts we are left feeling like a victim of the world, like things just happen to us. We forget that we are here to express ourselves authentically, we forget that we are connected to each other through this one energy of LOVE. We are in this world together and in unison with all creation. So if we are all connected to the one source of loving energy, what is good for someone else becomes good for oneself.

When I started really understanding this, it was much easier for me to see that in this oneness of connection there is no need for jealousy or competition with others; instead we can be cheerleaders for others as well as ourselves. 

Life becomes sweeter and the beauty all around becomes stunningly obvious. In noticing, it is easier to be grateful and to find joy in even the smallest of things and the reciprocity of universal joy is the gift back to oneself.

Another way to look at it, when we receive a gift whether it be a kind word, nice gesture or a physical gift, we tend to feel thankful and want to pass on that thanks, it becomes a gift that keeps giving. And, likewise, if we receive the gift without gratitude it stops the cycle of giving and sends a different message to the giver, one that shuts the door on the desire to give. The same holds true for the loving universe we live in!

Start small as you look for things/places/people/pets/nature to be grateful for…

I am grateful for my morning coffee.

I appreciate my warm winter boots.

I am grateful for my reliable car getting me to work.

I am grateful for my healthy body.

I am so thankful for a call from my friend today.

I am grateful for the sound of my child's laughter.

I am in awe of the fall colors this year!

Once you make this a practice, you can’t help but create more joy because you cannot be in a state of gratitude and not feel good.

Although this may sound cliché, I encourage you to put it to the test and see if you notice a joyful shift in your days!

If this resonates at all with you and you are looking for ways to embrace life more fully, let’s connect!

Much love,

Amy