Gratitude

Gratitude, a noun to mean, “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”*, from the Latin word meaning pleasing or thankful.

To the adjective, grateful, meaning a “feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful”*.

To the action of practicing gratitude where: “Practicing By Candice Smiley gratitude is synonymous to expressing our feelings for others and ourselves. By simple words of love and praise, we not only make others feel good, but we also feel a lot better of ourselves and our lives. Gratitude is about feeling the right way, about the right things, and at the right time.” **

Take a big serious deep breath. Its so easy to be very distracted right now and feel like it might be hard to find something to be grateful for. It can be easy to have the “wrong” attitude as

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash

you express “I’m grateful” and actually mean, “whew, I’m glad that that bad thing hasn’t happened to me… yet”.

Are there strings attached to your sense of gratitude? Is there actually an underlying tone of scarcity under the gratitude?

And it’s ok to feel a sense of relief as we express thankfulness for what hasn’t happened to us… and this is your gentle nudge to maybe allow your practice of gratitude to go a little deeper than that. To gently challenge yourself to look into what you is the “not” in your life to be grateful for, and also into the what is, and the what

if. Joy is the more vulnerable emotion, for me, one of the most vulnerable to feel… perhaps sincere, deep and present gratitude is the same? Perhaps.

Regardless, here is your homework for the next week… look candidly and honestly at your life… and look deeply and passionately for the people, places, things and moments that bring you the most joy. Stay in that moment when it happens (if you can), or energetically return to it later when you can be quiet with your own thoughts.

Think on it, consider it, breathe it in. View it, handle it in your mind as if it were precious. Be present to it.

Stay with it for 17 seconds… and if you can, repeat this process 4 times for a total of 68 seconds… and 4 thoughts that you simply remember, consider or hold because you are grateful you have them, will have them or simply because you want MORE OF THAT in your life.

Sounds simple, but it’s harder than you might think… when you start, until that habit is formed. Imagine for a moment what your life might look like if you were consciously looking for the moments, people, thoughts and things to be grateful for in your day?

This much I know that; one, gratitude brings you closer to the heart of G-D; and two, thoughts become things.

*Dictionary.com **https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience -of-gratitude/

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”