Gratitude

As I reflect on the tradition of Thanksgiving, I am reminded that Thanksgiving needs to take place every single moment of every day. Maybe that’s what mindful meditation is all about... always remembering to be grateful and appreciative. There are so many things to be grateful for! Birds singing, butterflies fluttering by, sunshine, trees and the shade they provide, clouds for their beauty and their rain, the bounty of Mother Nature, children playing, the love of our friends, the comforts of modern living, the coolness of the breeze... The list could go on forever.

Yet, surrounded by this beauty and love, we often rush through our hectic days neglecting to be grateful for it all. How often do we go past a beautiful rosebush and give thanks for its beauty and aroma? How often do we lift our head to the sky and give thanks for the life and energy provided by our sun? Do we take these things so much for granted that we don’t even see them anymore? 

Do we take for granted our modern paraphernalia, such as flush toilets, fax machines, televisions, refrigerators, etc.? Do we stop and think of the wonderful avenues that telephones, computers, and the Internet open up to us? And what about our cars? Do we feel and express appreciation for the transportation and ease they provide?

Do we remember to thank our human vehicle, the body that carries us through this lifetime? Do we treat it with respect and love? Or do we push it to extremes and then wonder why it starts breaking down? 

Are we grateful for the job we have, the money we receive? Or do we take it all in stride and feel it is our due? True, all these blessings are our "due" as children of the Universe, yet it is also our duty to express our gratitude, not only through words but also through works. Do we give back to the Universe for the many blessings it bestows on us? Do we share? Do we love?

We, as humans, never seem to be satisfied. It seems that, even as we express gratitude, that little babbler inside says, ‘yes, but...’ Maybe that is the inner prodding of Spirit reminding us that, as divine beings, we can aspire to greater heights than we now have attained. The ‘yes, but’ reminds us that we need not settle for what we have attracted so far, but that we can indeed look forward to creating heaven on earth. We have unlimited treasures at our beck and call, and, to reach them, we simply need to open the door and walk through to the other side.

What is the other side? That is the side where we have absolute faith and trust in the Universe to provide for us whatever we desire (from a Higher perspective). The Universe will agree with your beliefs and give you more of the same. This is why it is important to be grateful for what we have, even when we feel it is "not enough," because gratitude opens the door to more coming in. Whether we are grateful for material things or for love in our life, the gratitude acts like a magnet.

The action of giving thanks, the attitude of gratefulness, is one of the keys to creating the life you want. And it’s not waiting to give thanks until the event manifests, but rather giving thanks even before we have the "proof." There is no need to worry, no need to fear. We simply need to do our best, to live our life with the best of intentions towards ourselves and all living things, and it will come back to us in kind through the Law of Cause and Effect.

Take time to be grateful and count your blessings first thing in the morning. Then repeat the process often during the day and at least once again before going to sleep. Give thanks for the love in your life, the support, the blessings, even the small blessings. Thank the Universe, thank life, thank the sun for its energy and light, thank the trees for supplying oxygen. There is so much to be grateful for. We simply need to change our focus from what we don’t have to being grateful for what we do have, and the miracles of life will reveal themselves to us.

So, this Thanksgiving, focus on what you have and what you desire. We can create a better world... It starts with each one of us. So choose your thoughts, your attitudes, your words carefully. Focus on love, peace, healing, prosperity, and all those good things. The more you focus on them, the more of these good things there will be, not only in your life but in the lives of the people you meet and in the whole world. Happy Thanksgiving, today and every day!


Source: MysticalPlanet.com's Why? newsletter; excerpts from articles by Marie T. Russell of InnerSelf Magazine