Gratitude.
One of those qualities that can seem cliche at times- I know- but lately I’ve been reminded on a deeper level why behaving in the spirit of gratitude- again and again- is one of the most simple and life-changing practices.
A Key to Happiness and Fulfilment
Have you ever noticed that some people “have it all” and are still miserable? Or that some people can have half of what you have, and are happier than you?
A huge key to this is the practice of gratitude.
The way we “be” in life is a practice, every single day. Perhaps you have been practicing joy, or practicing peace, or practicing lack, or practicing fear, or practicing taking things for granted. In whatever way you choose to *be* in your daily life, it is a practice, meaning it is a choice. This is very important to understand- for it gives us a deeper power to realize we are free to choose what we are practicing. No, that doesn’t necessarily make it easy- but it does make it possible.
Whether you find yourself practicing peace, or in a strong momentum of practicing fear – it is a choice- and a gateway to the next level of your life will always be MORE GRATITUDE for what is. Genuinely. It is simple.
Gratitude as a Gateway in Calm and in Tribulation
I was recently reminded of two different types of gratitude.
The first is gratitude for your blessings that you have. To actually take a moment to GIVE THANKS- in a tangible way- for what you have. Your life, your experiences, your vitality, your loved ones, your legs, your infinite possiblities- SO many things to be grateful for, that we all are, in many ways, programmed to take for granted. When we take our blessings for granted, we usually end up practicing a state of lack or not enoughness- always rushing on to the next thing without ever appreciating or being satisfied with what we have now.
The experience of gratitude is not something that comes naturally for us when we are blessed- it is something that we must remember and practice, if we are committed to our happiness and fulfillment in this life. For it is entirely possible to live your whole life, full of blessings, and never giving thanks- only to wonder why you are always so miserable.
When you give thanks, you are actually able to RECEIVE the blessings you have now, and you will open the door to receiving more.
Gratitude During the Trials and Tribulations
The second type of gratitude is about feeling the PRESENCE of God/Soul/Higher Self/Universal Life Force (what EVER you want to call it) during your greatest trials in life. We all have trials we must face in life that are meant to test and initiate and ultimately evolve us.
During these times, we ARE tested. We are pushed. We are faced with the depths of our own shadow and unconsciousness. We experience things that are out of our control and feel totally beyond our capacity to hold or contend with- and yet we must.
In these moments despite it all, when we are PRESENT, we are STILL able to feel the presence of God, of our love, of our everlasting life within just as much as we can when we are in the triumphs of life. In such moments of fear and shadow and uncertainty- there is an unconditional flow of love and power that STILL flows through you infinitely.
By PRACTICING the recognition of this sweet presence-ESPECIALLY in the face of bitter challenges- and giving thanks for it genuinely- you will connect to a deep invincible joy even deeper than you’ve known before. In the dark, you will feel God’s light the most. It is in these moments- again, of being tested- you discover your own soul and infinite nature more than you could in moments of calm.
A most beautiful way of capturing the essence of this message:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
-Psalm 23:4
Even in the presence of your “enemies”- be it the presence of fear, lack, addiction, shame, evil, etc.- God/Spirit is STILL with you in those moments. Recognize: you are stronger than any of those worldly energies.
This practice is truly life changing- for again, when we are able to be connected to this gratitude throughout the ups and downs of life- we discover, as Albert Camus famously called it, “an INVINCIBLE summer” in our winter.
Embodying Gratitude
Having an “attitude of gratitude” is not enough- it isn’t just about thinking or reading about gratitude- it is about ACTUALLY PRACTICING and EMBODYING gratitude every day. Making the EFFORT to actually be grateful for your life, your blessings and lessons alike. To speak it, to feel it, to act within it. Don’t forget- with an ego as powerful as the ones we all have- there is often an EFFORT and FOCUS that is required to practice gratitude, in a world of constant “not-enoughness” programming. And as we dwell in the spirit of gratitude, we are able to discover the beauties of invincible love, abundance, peace, and generosity in any storm.
This is a key to real happiness: not happiness merely as a fleeting sensation on the surface- but happiness as a DEEP rememberance of who the F you are. An infinitely powerful, loving, living spirit.
Praise the Lord.
That is the REAL joy of being who you are, and by connecting to gratitude, you will have a direct path.
Regan Keely 