Daily Gratitude Practice

Gratitude is a sure cure for personal strife and whether our struggles are real or imagined, we can masterfully impact the quality of our experience by taking into account the things in life for which we’re most grateful. When we shift our awareness to the many blessings we enjoy, to the advantages we have, to the friendships, love and opportunities that surround us, we find there is no real need for feeling badly, or at least not as badly as we sometimes allow ourselves to feel. Our life is rarely as bad as we imagine it to be when we are in this dark and discouraging place.

Feelings of frustration, exhaustion, overwhelm, disappointment, etc., are all very real but they can also become a habit, a way of dealing with the world from an automated and learned response rather than a conscientious and mindful response.

• We all go through cycles of feeling the world is beyond our control…..and it is!
• We feel sometimes our efforts our futile…..and they are!
• We fee that life disappoints us……and sometimes it does!

But the opposite is also true.

• We feel life is generous and abundant……and it is!
• We see the beauty all around us…….and we’re amazed!
• We feel lucky to be alive and to be loved……and we are!

Some days, we naturally arise to a beautiful world. Other days, the whole world looks ugly. This is the human experience and one that we all share. The ability to shift our mind however from a negative place to a more positive place is the ART of deliberate creation and it’s where the quality of our experience can be magically transformed.

You have the ability to turn things around and it’s easier than you may think.

With this very easy practice everything shifts:  a dark mood suddenly eases, a sad heart turns into a smile, in the impossible we find our window of opportunity. Equally, even with a clear and positive mind at the start of our practice we find that our compassion blossoms, our generosity expands and our willingness to be of service to others becomes the defining principle of our day.

You get to decide which way you want your day to go but it’s good to have cultivated the tools just in case you want to use them. It’s entirely up to you. Five minutes in the morning can make a huge difference throughout your day.

That’s only 5 Minutes! You deserve that much!

How to practice:

• Sit quietly in a room where there are few to zero distractions.
• Turn off your radio, computer, noisemakers of all kinds.
• Breathe. Take 10 deep long breaths – inhaling slowly and exhaling at the same pace.
• Let your mind clear of any busy-ness……just for now you can let it go.
• Bring your awareness into your heart. Take five more breaths focusing on your heart center.
• Recount the things for which you are most Grateful! (i.e. I am alive. I have a roof over my head. I have someone who loves me. I am not alone. I have friends. I am resourceful. I love my cat/dog, etc. they bring me so much joy! I love the beauty in nature. I love jumping in the river. I love my mother, father, husband, wife, children, etc., I am so lucky because?. The gifts I bring to others is? My special talents are? etc.)
• Let these things for which you are grateful reside in your heart. Let them linger before you go on to the next one. Feel them. Notice and delight in this feeling. Allow yourself to experience it!
• At the end of your list, when you are through, notice the shift in your attitude, your mindset, your essence.
• Thank yourself for taking the time to shift your reality on a deep level and for making the quality of your day important.

Enjoy the benefits!

That’s it! So easy and so meaningful. You can take five minutes or 30 minutes depending on your schedule but however long, a shift will definitely occur. It’s all in the intention.