"The root of joy is gratefulness." ~David Steindl-Rast
In every situation in life, whether it is considered good or bad, there is always a reason for it to happen. Sometimes we may feel stuck, and may feel that life is not going the way we want them to go, but often times when we only focus on all the bad, we forget all the good that exists in our lives. When we only focus on our problems and what we don't have, we are blinded to what we already have. For example, if you put your whole hand right in front of your eyes, not only will your vision be blocked, you simply will not be able to see your hand, and everything will become blurry and heavy. But when we pull our hand out a bit, we can see our hand from a distance, as well as what's around our hand. Our vision becomes more focus, and the heaviness diminishes. This is an example of what happens in the way we choose to place our perspective in life. When we learn to shift our focus, instead of looking at all the hindrances or problems up close, we can learn to rise above ourselves and look at things from a distance, giving us an ample amount of space between us and the challenges.
I really love the saying, "Life can give you a cactus, but it doesn't mean you have to sit on it." This cannot be further from the truth. There will always be challenges in life, but does it mean we have to take it so at heart that it consumes us completely, where we cannot function? No, we do not have to. I find that the best way to keep my challenges in a distance is by counting my blessings. The more I count my blessings, the more I become aware that my challenges are only a small part of my life. I realize I do have so much more in life that I should be thankful for. Those little things that I often take for granted, such as: my health, my life, food & water, my family, my friends, the ability to move, to speak, to play, to create, to have warmth and love.
It is so easy to focus on the negatives, on the "not enough"s, on what we dislike or feel discontent about. I find that one of the biggest culprit to determine whether a person is thankful or not is in the way they speak about life. If they don't truly appreciate what is given to them, their focus will always be surrounding complaints, resentments, and bickering about other people, about society, about the world etc. As the vicious cycle goes, the complaints will be the easiest to lurk out of their mouths, finding any faults or discontent they could in a person, a situation, or a circumstance. I myself have experienced this vicious cycle before. Not only did complaining not help, it literally dragged my mood down, and made me more succumbed to negativity. Even if someone would put gold in front of me, I wouldn't have the heart to notice it, for I was blinded by my own ungratefulness.
What we do not realize and often neglect is that our heart is build up from gratefulness. And it is only with a grateful heart, that true joy shines through. Some people are born with it. Like children, they always find pure joy in everything they do, and I hardly ever hear children complain about this and that. But most of us have to realize it and be aware of what we think or say will become our destiny. Our heart is like a magnet. A person who is thankful for everything will receive more abundance and joy. A person who only sees the worst in everything will only receive more resentments and sadness. What we see is simply what we will receive.
I find it absolutely amazing that when one realizes the many gifts they have in life, they will begin to change. When I realize how important my health is to me, I begin to truly take care of it. And to take care of oneself begins from realizing how lucky we are to have a healthy body and a healthy mind. Exercises is not only for the body alone. It is also for our mind. What we ingest into our bodies is just as important as the things we choose to receive with our minds. Such as the books we read, the movies we watch, the music we listen to, the art we look at, the people we chose to spend time with; all of this can take a toll on how we see life. If we are constantly placing ourselves in negativity, the energy will slowly consume us, affecting our well being. Choose wisely with whom you want to share your energy with, or if you have noticed your energy drained, be aware of what you have been reading/watching/focusing on or spending too much time with. That might be the source of your energy drain~
And if you catch yourself counting your woes more than the wonders in life, begin by asking yourself this one question: "What am I thankful for?" You may have surprising answers flowing out of you. Start by picking something seemingly insignificant, such as food and water, warm clothes, a roof over your head. As your list builds up, you will begin to see how those little things make up into BIG things. And without those little things, nothing really matters.
Remember, no matter how difficult your challenge in life could be, there is always, always something to be grateful for.
May you begin to realize more of what you do have, then what you don't have. For what you have is a gift. It is time to RECEIVE the gifts in life with your open hands & a grateful heart.
Love & Peace,
AMA
p.s. Stemming from my own journey of Gratitude, I began to create a workshop dedicated to using the Creative Arts in helping others find their joy in Gratitude. If you are interested in using the Creative Arts to build a Grateful Heart, my workshop may be exactly what you're looking for :) Please send me a message for more information or check my service list. Thanks!