The Real Gift of Gratitude

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“The inherent gift of gratitude is the presence of mind, body, soul, spirit and being to mindfully live life with relentless embrace.”
— Rev. Evelyn Foreman, M. Div.

Gratitude is a common word.  It is a value many hold dear.

"What is it about gratitude that is so appealing?" You might wonder. 

Let's be straight:  sometimes, with the ground beneath us crumbles, and our heart breaks in a million thousand pieces, and it seems one unfortunate event happens to another, gratitude might be the last thing that sits at the tip of your tongue.

Yet, the instruction for practice is to give thanks anyway.  Not only to say thank you but to cultivate the feeling of thanks - to give thanks for nothing in return.

It takes a strong soul to give thanks for nothing in return.  It requires a noble heart, and willing participant to be present to nothingness.  Can you be this person?

When we give thanks, we become present in life.  When we are present (rather than absent-minded) we are living each moment of our lives fully.

The real gift is not whether you will get something in return when you give thanks.  The inherent gift of gratitude is the presence of mind, body, soul, spirit and being to mindfully live life with a relentless embrace.

What one thing might you give thanks for today to be present to your beautiful, poetic, precious life?  Please share as you are called. <3

Today, I am Grateful

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Declaring, "Today, I am grateful" is the way to begin any day, every day.

What would happen if everyone on Earth should start the day declaring that they are grateful?

A day at a time, a moment at a time, be grateful.

As Westerners, we live our lives in such abundance, and with so much convenience that we may not fully appreciate it all.  Just the sheer fact that we have food in the frig, clothes that keep us warm, and transportation when we need it is amazing. 

Even if the need is not material, many of us have someone to call 'friend.'  We are surrounded by technology; even reading this post is amazing.  We forget sometimes, the fortunate lives we live.

We can call each other on wireless devices called our mobile phones.  We can see each other despite being on the other side of the globe.  We have access to food, entertainment, and simply luxuries like gourmet coffee.  

Have you stopped today to count your blessings?

Join me in finishing the following sentence, "Today, I am grateful for the following 3 things..." 

Begin Each Day with a Grateful Heart

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“For me, my day begins the moment of waking consciousness.”
— Rev. Evelyn Foreman, M. Div.

How do you begin each day?  Does your day begin after coffee?  Or do you count the moment you place your feet on the floor as the beginning of the day?

There are days when my eyes are still closed, and I lay in bed, feeling the warmth of my sheets. Still other days, I am awakened by the rustling of my children, whispering to each other at the foot of my bed. 

At the point of waking consciousness, I pray.  My prayers is always the same - everyday, regardless of who wakes me or how I wake.  Whether my eyes are opened or closed, my prayer is the same: thank you.

My gratitude extends from the life I am privileged to live, to the lives on my. path:  my loving family, my dear friends and even those who call me to my best and highest self.  

Everyday, I begin with two little words that comprise of my daily prayer: THANK YOU.

How about you, dear One?  How do you begin your day? <3

Drunk ... On Gratitude

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Who would have guessed that anyone can put the words drunk & gratitude in an inspirational message?  

Rumi was a genius in so many ways, with intoxicating words that lure my spirit into the courageous act of possibility!

No one says the practice of gratitude had to be controlled and tempered. 

Let's take a hint from nature - and change our way of being every so often...let's be grateful.

What would unfold if every ONE of us became totally overtaken and completely grateful for EVERYTHING?

The world would be a marvelous place of appreciation and our life would be an immersion of cherished experiences. 

 

Life is a Series of Tiny Little Miracles

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Life is a series of tiny little miracles, and when I am present to this, I am profoundly grateful.

Even before conception, the pattern of possibility is imprinted in our DNA.  Each moment, each breath, each millisecond, life is a miracle.  

One miracle, strung together with another, in each moment of our lives, we become who we are, and we realize who we are to be.

What better way to express thanksgiving but to embrace each moment, living fully in alignment with our soul's purpose?

Whether we accept it, or not, each one of us is a miracle, unfolding as an expression of sacred life. Realize this, and be grateful <3.  Namaste.

Pause...take a breath. 

For moment, what are you present to that is profound to you, dear One?  

Be Grateful

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I declare every Thursday as Thankful Thursday!!

Let us BE GRATEFUL.

As I give thanks, I become present to the power of how my attitude sets me up for my experience.  When I practice mindfulness and give thanks for the abundance of the present moment, I become present to the gift that is my life.  

Immediately, I remember that I have everything I need to succeed and live happily: oxygen, water, food, shelter, clothing.  Everything else that is present - which is ALWAYS so much more than the basic necessities - is a bonus!  

I become present to the abundance that overflows, continuously, creating for me experiences of grace, mercy, and serendipitous fortune!

As a human being, there are times when I forget just how abundant my life is.  (Anyone ever experience this forgetfulness?) 

When mindfulness of thanksgiving is absent in consciousness, I notice a less ideal experience.  I might feel it in my body as constriction.  The voice in my head speaks loudly, sometimes shouting.  My breath becomes a bit shallow, and I feel tightness all around.

“Come back to your heart. ”
— Give Thanks

In times like these, when I feel restricted, I get to return to the sticky note on my desktop:  "Come back to the Heart."  

My road back is always a change of mind - to the positive!  Rather than anything else, I choose again to cultivate gratitude.

Gratefulness puts me on the right track. Again and again, I return. 

Join me in returning back to the heart - give thanks today for 3 things present in your life.  

Mine are: My precious children, the love of my husband and gift of sacred friendships.  What are yours?

Be Grateful for Whoever Comes

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Sometimes, the guide that arrives may not be what you expect.  Visitors in our life have a way of teaching us what we need to know.  

The most powerful guides are often those that irk us most - the unfriendly neighbor, other children that tease us, the annoying driver that cut us off in traffic.

These guides are powerful because they remind us of the work we've still got to do.  If we remain open, we might learn that they are exactly what we need to remember the Truth of our being.  

The rude driver might remind us, for example, that we are not petty, and we can forgive easily.  If we are not reminded of this, then, we get to practice forgiveness and compassion!

Our annoying Auntie Mae, for example, might be present to teach us that patience, particularly to bite our tongue. Whomever that is, what ever it is, considering our visitors as teachers can help us better understand ourselves - like a self-study course on insight.  For the gift of appreciating this, I am grateful!

Who or what in your life that came as a disguised blessing are you grateful for?

An Attitude of Gratitude

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Ever since I was a little girl, I was taught that your attitude determines your happiness in life.  Regardless of the adversity I've experienced, I have always held this lesson near and dear to my heart:  for all things, be grateful.  

Things go right?  Be grateful.  Things out of control? Be grateful?  Things falling apart? Be grateful.  

“Being grateful is the key to all things good.”

Honestly, by the time I was a teenager, I was tired of being grateful.  As a teenager, I could remember many things that I was living with that I didn't want to be grateful for - and still, gratitude had been such a foundational practice for me that I found myself giving thanks, even though I was rebelling from family and finding my way.

Today, I give thanks for this foundation.  

My Mom taught me well, to have an attitude of gratitude, regardless of comes my way.  It has been a foundation of abundance, perspective and healing for me.  This lesson continues to teach me that grace is always in the midst and that being grateful is the key to all things good.