The THIRD part of EMBRACE is GRATITUDE.
Gratitude.
When I really allow myself to FEEL + express gratitude a warm loving sensation fills my body.
I AM AWARE.
I AM ALIVE.
My mind calms... all the chatter takes a break. it is easy to be grateful for everything when I approach the day with the mindset that I have nothing to loose. I also express my gratitude by enjoying life!
I start by being grateful for the small things.
I am grateful for my body which internal functions occur without any conscious effort. I am grateful for clean food + water, shelter, and love in my heart. When i can appreciate these things, then everything else is almost a bonus! Without expectations i look forward to what the day can bring!
“The key to experiencing deeper levels of happiness, fulfillment, and wellbeing is cultivating gratitude.” - 21 days of Inspiration
A few years ago I purchased a gratitude journal that prompted me to focus on gratitude everyday. However, I put it in storage before the new year began because it was date specific. and we were setting off on an international trip. I was thinking I would get it out before we set off on our domestic travels when we returned. The book ended up in the back of the storage unit only to be found halfway into the year!
Ahhh…well. I did not really need that specific book to list my daily experiences of gratitude, but I do think it is nice to dedicate myelf to consciously acknowledging blessings + giving thanks regularly.
When I get out of expressing some form of gratitude regularly I can see a shift in my energy. I might experience more doubt or less ease. I usually don't notice it until the worry or uneasy feelings build.
Now if I am feeling down and I am conscious of it, I know to check in on what I am grateful for. The funny thing is that when I'm feeling down I am not always eager to list my gratitudes, especially aloud. Perhaps it's my ego, but I feel resistance, like there is is a block in my energy I am not ready to release.
I eventually push through + I am so grateful for thos simple practice to bring me back to center.
I continue to use the gratitude book, sometimes daily, but I go through cycles where i may not enter anything for a few weeks or a whole month. At first i felt bad that i did not use the joyrnal for the year it was specified for, now i disregard that + I add the year on what ever date it is then enter a little note of thanks. So now on some dates i can see what i was grateful for on that date last year or a few years ago.
Really I can use any journal or paper i have around. But there is something quite nice+ powerful about keeping it all in on place.
Other ways I practice gratitude:
To give thanks when I wake each morning. Before I get out of bed I lay with my eyes closed and I say in my head “thank you, thank you for my family, thank you for another day, thank you for…” I continue to list what is on my mind. Before I know it I am smiling + ready to face the day with a brighter attitude.
Also, as a family we say grace before our meals: starting by giving thanks for a happy, healthy family and a beautiful day together and then we add to that as we see fit. We have started to introduce having candle at dinner and when we are all finished we go around and say what we are grateful for about the day, what our favourite part of the day was, and we send a blessing out to someone.
Deepak Chopra suggests that there are three ways to use the power of gratitude on your life, and every one of them is giving love:
1. Be grateful for everything you have received in your life (past).
2. Be grateful for everything you are receiving in your life (present).
3. Be grateful for what you want in your life, as though you have received it (future).
Rabbi Baruch Spinoza suggests we ask ourselves three questions on a daily basis:
1. Who or what inspired me today?
2. What brought me happiness today?
3. What brought me comfort and deep peace today?
Spinoza said these questions lead to profound inner transformation.
All in all a little gratitude goes long way.
The Essence: Give Thanks.
Resources: Magic, 21 Days of Inspiration Booklet
LaToya
Thank you for joining me on this path of INTERIOR ALCHEMY