"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns... I am thankful that thorns have roses."
~ Alphonse Karr
"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...
It's about learning how to dance in the rain!"
This beautiful quote showed up in my email one morning as I sat at my computer contemplating how to best present this lesson on gratitude and I immediately knew that the Universe was talking to me.
The email was part of a series from Simple Truths and told the story of Patrick Henry Hughes, a young man who had been born without eyes and with a bone disorder that left him in a wheelchair.
Yet rather than succumb to his "have-nots", Patrick was grateful for all that he DID have and went on to lead an incredible life.
Now, THAT'S what I call gratitude!
Nothing raises your vibration faster and higher than gratitude. Most of us know this of course, but do we really practice it the way we should?
How many times have we immersed ourselves in our "have-nots" and lost sight of all the blessings that are ours to claim?
The truth is, we've all had times when we let the worst get the best of us. Maybe traffic was bad... our boss was grouchy or the car broke down...
Or maybe our problems are bigger than that... maybe we're getting laid off at work, having family challenges, or facing some health issues...
Sometimes, it's hard to stay in a place of gratitude isn't it? When there's so many things "going wrong", how are we supposed to feel happy and blessed?
The first thing you can do is remind yourself that gratitude is a powerful energy that can create miracles. In fact, if I could get only one message out to the world, it would be this:
The more grateful you are, the more the Universe will give you to be grateful for.
And truth be told, it really has, hasn't it?
Just look at all the joys we have around us! We are truly so very blessed with...
Family
Friends
Beauty
Wisdom
Comforts
Choices
Freedoms
Prosperity
Laughter
And so much more!
Our list of good things to be grateful for is literally endless... we are living in the Grace of the Universe.
And when you see that, you also begin to see the beauty in the things that at first glance, we thought weren't so great...
After all, everything is an experience - even the bills and the traffic jams... and if we're choosing to be deliberate creators then we know that each is an experience that we have created...
Can you find a way to appreciate it?
When you do that, you actually raise your vibration... you begin to resonate at a much higher level, one that allows you to create more of what you want in your life!
Can you see that? Can you see that if you vibrate at appreciation and gratitude, the law of attraction will vibrate right back with more for you to appreciate?
This is a powerful and profound concept because it moves us out of an experience of "lacking" or "wanting" and places us in a place of abundance and joy.
And what do you suppose you'll attract when you're resonating abundance and joy?
So... Look around you... how many wonderful things are in your life at this very moment?
Do you enjoy a close-knit family? Do you have friends to chat with or a pet that greets you faithfully at the door each day?
Do you have your health? A job? A car? A home? Can you read? Write? Sing a song? Maybe you've got a favorite television show or you've discovered the joys of golf or tennis or an early morning jog.
Perhaps you relish the taste of bagels with cream cheese or the regular invitations to Sunday dinner where you get to indulge in your mother's homemade lasagna, meatloaf or other delicious delectable.
Yes, these are all small things but the small things are always so plentiful!
Its easy to focus on the big "challenges" in your life but too often, we get tunnel-vision and our blessings get ignored.
The result is that we spend every waking moment focused on the "have-nots" and never find time to enjoy all the "haves".
And there's no abundance in that way of thinking.
Instead, turn off the television and leave the news for another day. Open your mind and start looking for things to appreciate... even the smallest of things... because the more you look, the more you're going to find!
You can also feel gratitude for the things you've yet to create! Try writing this in your journal -
I am so grateful now that I have this amazing sweetheart in my life... I love waking up with him/her in my arms... I love making dinner together...
Journal what you want to create and stay in a state of gratitude.... You'll be amazed at the results!
Thank you for the gift of life,
For letting me be me...
For all that I can know by words,
And all that I can see...
For all the music I can hear,
And all the songs I sing,
For all the joy that comes to me,
And all the joy I bring...
For all the food that I can taste,
And all the sweet scents I smell...
For all the loves ones I can touch,
Who love and wish me well.
God thank you for all of my blessings and may I be a blessing to others.
I am grateful for you.
Blessings,
