“It’s a misnomer to think that people who have more, have more reasons to feel grateful.” ~ Bev Pugh
In my younger years, I was very conditional about gratitude. I would feel grateful when something ‘good’ happened. Most of us feel gratitude in response to getting what we want. It took me quite a long time to understand what it really means to live gratitude as a way of life. Now I really get it, and aspire to live it.
When I was growing up, I was taught to say thank you to be polite and use good manners. I thought gratitude was kind of like that. It’s a sign of a person with good morals and or values.
Thanksgiving was last weekend and it’s a special time to review how we are doing with the theme of gratitude.
This is my take on it.
There is so much information about gratitude out there. We have gratitude journals and gratitude books. We hear about it in meditations and talks. For me, I kind of became numb to the word and the meaning. I would nod yes that it is important, and then forget it or not live it in the next minute.
Gratitude is one of those words we espouse to value, but we often don’t live it.
I have found that gratitude is not so much saying thank you, as a way of truly living life. By this I mean we are noticing what is good – all the details of life – and letting ourselves smile and our heart open. We carry the feeling of gratitude all the time. As much as our awareness will allow.
I notice and feel gratitude simply for the breath I am taking in and for the feeling of my feet on the earth. We take so much for granted. Most of us keep waiting to get the things we really want, and do not take time to teach our awareness to appreciate everything around us.
Right now, our cat has level one kidney failure. I am noticing and smiling at how she jumps off the kitchen counter which she shouldn’t be on. The well known saying, “What we focus on expands”, is very true. If you want to feel good, take responsibility for what you focus on. Even in tough times, there is so much to enjoy.
I spent a good deal of my life taking things for granted. Not now. Through my work and self-growth, I hold myself accountable to my happiness quotient. It’s not dependent on things, it’s dependent on my focus. I hold myself accountable. Not in a judgmental way, but in an expansive way.
One of the most powerful things about gratitude is that it opens up our hearts. Most of us walk around with a closed heart. I am talking energetically, not biologically. What is the advantage of an open heart? It gives us more energy and vitality, and increases our wisdom quotient. That is my experience. For example, before you make any decision, go into your heart and into the feeling of gratitude. You will find you make better decisions!
I also find that when I carry gratitude as a way of being, my use of words and sharing with others becomes more powerful. My style of communication improves. The ripple effects are significant.
It’s a misnomer to think that people who have more, have more reasons to feel grateful. That is our ego holding conditional thinking.
When we are grateful as a way of being, we are carrying around a way of deepening our experiences of life.
I love this theme of gratitude and I love integrating it into my life.
I am curious to see where this takes you.
See if you can move off the level of conceptualizing gratitude or having it as value that you talk about, to a level of living it moment to moment.
Enjoy the feeling of Thanksgiving as a year round way of being.
