Aligning with Gratitude
This past weekend was Thanksgiving here in Canada. In a little over a month, our neighbours to the south of us will have their Thanksgiving holiday. These occasions are all about taking time to pause and give thanks for what we have, all that we are, all that we experience. While it’s nice to have a special holiday in this way, having a regular practice of gratitude is equally important.
How does gratitude show up in your everyday life?
Over time, I have learned that it is easy to take simple, daily blessings for granted. When we do this, we minimize the good that is in our lives, and inadvertently shrink the space that’s available for more blessings. It’s an energetic thing. When we can’t express gratitude for what is already here, we can’t create space for more of what we might want.
When was the last time you gave thanks for what is already here in your world? Even just the everyday, seemingly mundane things, the stuff you could easily take for granted?
Each of us, no matter our circumstance, is living an experience of opposites. On the one hand, we have things that are immediately recognizable as “gratitude-worthy” – perhaps our health, our strength, our food, or our family and friends. On the other hand, we have things that are “burdensome” to some degree – fatigue, never-ending-to-do-lists, difficult conversations to engage in. These are things that we’re less likely to feel thankful for.
When faced with these commonplace experiences, our tendency as human beings is to focus on the ones that we’re NOT grateful for, rather than the ones that are more blessing-like. Our focus is on trying to fix what we don’t like, rather than appreciate what we do like. And so, slowly but surely, we start to think that our blessings are outweighed by our so-called burdens.
It’s time to shift our focus.
If focusing on our challenges makes us lose sight of our blessings, trust me when I say that the process can work equally well in reverse. When we focus on our blessings, we are less inclined to notice the challenges, or perhaps, less inclined to feel burdened by them.
The expression of gratitude is a simple way to energetically shift our lives into a more positive space. No matter what you’re experiencing, rest assured, there’s something for which you can be grateful. And as you express your gratitude for the small things, the burden of other things starts to lift.
Bottom-line: gratitude is a good, good thing. Energetically, it lightens your load and brightens your day. No matter what’s going on for you, finding space for gratitude will serve you well. So, take a moment and ask yourself: what are you grateful for today?