If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.
– Meister Eckhart
A heart filled with gratitude is filled with positivity, with hope, with love, happiness, and abundance. When you look at the world full of gratitude and appreciation, you take nothing for granted. A practice of regular gratitude–of taking the time each and every day to focus on what’s good, what’s the positive side of things–creates a life of extraordinary beauty and love.
Even if you’ve been through some challenging times, there is always something to be thankful for. For example, divorce can lead to new love in your life, an appreciation for being alone and loving your own company, an expansion of knowledge, or something else positive. Illness can lead to a new appreciation for taking good care of yourself, learning about healthy eating, or a deeper appreciation for life. The loss of a job can lead to new avenues of perhaps a new career, a new appreciation for family and connection, or time off to consider what’s important or to finish old tasks that needed to be done.
There is always a silver lining–you just have to find it. The practice of gratitude helps you get out of the entitled mind and into the grateful mind. Too many people these days come from an entitled mentality–“I should have that” or “I should have more.” But, I digress…I’ll save the topic of entitlement for another post.
Enrich your life with the practice of gratitude. Let it fill your mind with the abundance that surrounds you. Let it affect the way you interact in the world, process it, perceive it, and believe in it. Allow your soul to feel grateful for the very blessing and gift of being alive. Life is too short to spend it bitter, angry, sad, lonely, etc.–life’s a gift that’s meant to be experienced.
What are you grateful for? What do you take for granted sometimes? Do you have a practice of gratitude?