Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Thanks, A Gift the Keeps on Giving

Gratitude is a gift that keeps on giving to both you and others.  Counting my blessings rejuvenates me. Nothing can be more beneficial then expressing gratefulness for all the ways this life has benefited me. Just maintaining a state of gratefulness re-energizes me, and moves me to shift my attitude so that I look for the silver lining in every cloud. Instead of looking at things as a curse, I can see them as the blessing they truly are lessening the curses that have such potency.

The power of gratitude leads me to a greater sense of purpose, and a richer life. Invoking appreciation gives me a profound sense of joy, and links me with all things, filling me with a sense of harmony and well being.

Appreciation creates for me a more wholesome mindset that reconnects me to the things I value most. Living this way creates a greater sense of possibility and freedom. My feeling of gratitude expands when I reflect on how all things must be respected. And I feel more humble as I observe the mysterious spirit of this world.

Exercising my gratitude is a wake-up call for me to remember what matters most. We live in a critical time, and how we can best deal with it comes into question.  Awakening to how we can see each moment with a clear mind, as a new event, is an action I would define as "the attitude of gratitude." This approach not only liberates us from suffering, we become more mindful of the possibility of being truly open to all possibilities.

The act of compassionate gratitude is a form of stewardship that allows me to be more sensitive and respectful of people and nature. I become mindful and deal with all things in a sacred way. Cultivating this kind of relationship with life fosters a sense of devotion and divinity.

What do I appreciate right now? Can I hear the birds singing outside? Can I simply enjoy hearing my own heartbeat?  How grateful am I to all those things life on this planet has given me?  Do I cherish the food, shelter and other gifts? Let's say I have just moments to live, would I count my blessings? What would I wish to do to give my thanks?  The very nature of my entire life and my liberation comes down to embracing these questions.

To remember to appreciate life here and now, is the art I wish to cultivate. Today's world makes it so easy to fall into darkness. Why is that I am unconsciously afraid of allowing the greater light in? Am I paying attention to my senses? Or I am held captive by a self-destructive story of shame and loathing? Can I remember to listen not just to my own body but that greater one that connects all things?  Reverence for this earth opens the door to my happiness and freedom.

To be free, I must change my various behaviors and attitudes that imprison me with negative and unwholesome consequences.  Sticken thinken and paralysis analysis are the various ways I have recycled my past to curse my future.  It is easy for me to fall back to the same old "I-am-the-victim, or the poor-me" mindset. Just becoming enlightened enough to stop "should-ing" myself can be a wonderful first step.

I have the freedom to fully appreciate my life when I practice loving friendliness. This comes about only if I am mindful and exercise right intention to transform an abiding gratitude into action. How I train my mind to greet all beings and events with loving kindness, provides me with the opportunity of changing a curse into a blessing.

So I return again to appreciation, and I count my blessings and take note of what I have in my life to be grateful for. When I awaken and show reverence through these actions, I prosper. Gratitude for me is about cultivating four skillful things:

-Showing up in the present moment.
-Paying attention to what has heart and meaning!
-Giving a positive voice to what I see!
-Remaining open to all possibilities while being unattached to outcome!

Appreciation is both a loving and a kind method of being with profound affects and effects. Developing my appreciation offers me a sense of greater peace, and freedom. It's amazing how this gift, gratitude spreads when by simply being thankful.




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