Embedded Files
Who are you without your story?
Being thankful for what we already have
reminds us that we have more than we realise.
What can you be grateful for?
Being grateful is not always easy. Sometimes we have to dig a little deeper to be truly grateful for what we do have.
Gratefulness is said to be a pathway to abundance.
Do you want more abundance in your life?
Why be grateful?
Often we find it easy to be grateful for the feel good things in life, that which makes us happy, joyful or acknowledged. However it is those moments in life that challenge us that offer an opportunity to dig deeper into ourselves to find gratefulness for. This is not always easy - but this is where the magic of transformation awaits you.
Gratefulness is a mindfulness practice that most of us know about and yet take for granted in our busy lives. Such practices bring about nervous system regulation - bringing us into a calm para-sympathetic state, affects our emotions, our hormones (dopamine), our way of being with our own life and with others. Being grateful is said to have a lasting psychologically protective effect, boost our mood and positive outlook.
Some days it might take a bit more digging or effort to find something you are grateful for - especially when you don't feel like it, are experiencing a challenging situation or feeling low. On these days, being grateful for food, shelter, clothes, your own body, breath - the small things matter as well.
What we take for granted is often where we can begin our mindful practice - to direct our gratefulness towards life, being alive and in the here and now. Being grateful for living is something we skip over and dismiss, being distracted by the big things or emotional moments.
Consider this practice, technique, method as a way to directly connect to the divine within you, the abundance of what you desire that awaits you.
This practice brings you back to your Self.
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which
enables us to count our blessings." Eric Hoffer
Could you bring the practice of gratitude into your life?
An Invitation?
Similar to the practice of Ho'oponopono or The Work, bringing gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation into your day, your life, your relationships allows you to see every situation in life as a benefit to you - and sometimes it's easier said than done. Gratitude is also considered a mindfulness exercise - every moment is noticed, focused on, felt, heard, seen - one moment at a time.
A Gratitude Journal:
Create a gratitude journal or some other medium to consciously note your gratitude. You can do this each day or create an image that represents what you are grateful for in life. My own example is shared below.
Write it down, draw it or create something with your hands. You could even create a model from clay, recycled items, create a piece of art. The medium, form or size doesn't matter. You could write a poem, a song, a story or even music.
Thinking about what you are grateful for with just using your mind is helpful but the magic occurs when you create time to focus and bring your body into the activity for greater depth and connection of feeling gratitude with your whole being.
Remind yourself of what you are grateful for. Be with how it feels in your body to do this.
If you don't know where to start, writing down a few things like the below and feel the sensations in your body of each item you are grateful for.
I am grateful for sight.
I am grateful for being able to taste my food.
I am grateful for the sun on my skin.
I am grateful for the roof over my head.
I am grateful for the air I can breath.
I am grateful for water to drink.
I am grateful for being able to touch the earth.
I am grateful for ..........
I am grateful for ..........
I am grateful for ..........
Take your time, be honest.
Consider 3 benefits of a challenging situation:
We've all had challenging situations or moments where we feel stuck in the depths of despair, blame, frustration, sadness, hopelessness, anger or more.
An opportunity to consider is find some time to reflect on this challenging situation - all feelings welcome - and consider 3 benefits of this situation.
You may have to be with it for some time as your mind may want to take you to blame, shame, justification, grief or elsewhere. Bring yourself back to finding these 3 benefits.
Write them down. It will take as long as it takes. Then notice how it feels in your body to have acknowledged these 3 benefits.
Read, watch or listen here to learn why Dr John Demartini recommends this process.
Being grateful is a way of being,
a mindful and spiritual practice,
a prayer, a meditation and mantra.
What I am grateful for?
Personal Share: This is what I drew in my own personal journal to remind me of what I really love in life and am grateful for.
I thought this exercise would be easy - but actually it took me some time to put this together and be clear about what I really love and am grateful for. Putting down on paper what floats around in my head requires intentional effort at times.
The movement of drawing, writing, creating something that brings your body into the moment of acknowledging what you are grateful for is an integrative somatic experience.
When I am feeling a low or struggling with something in life, I remind myself of drawing this in my journal - colourful images work for me - to remind myself of what I love and am grateful for. Remembering even one of these items bring me back to my happy place.
This then brings about within me an inner shift to being in back to a state of peace, my nervous systems eases and returns back to parasympathetic state.
xo with Love & Gratitude
Book Recommendation:
The Gratitude Effect, Dr John F Demartini
This is an easy read and offers you insight and tools to bring authentic gratitude into your life as a practice and a way of living.
To Watch:
"As long as the cause is separated from the effect, you're likely playing into the victim model because you perceive that an individual or event that is outside of you is the cause of how you feel inside." Dr Demartini.
Watch these video's to hear what Dr John Demartini says about being grateful - for everything.
"Acknowledging the good that you arleady have in your life is the foundation for all abundance." Eckhart Tolle
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse