The Gratitude Equation

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, and confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”~ Melody Beattie There are times when it is easy to get down, to feel sorry for ourselves, and to only be able to see our glass half full. What is hard is to get out of that rut! To flip the coin and see the other side, even when we know we should. Being pessimistic is contagious too. How many times have you been in the company of someone who was the “Debbie Downer” and you find yourself viewing your day through that negative fog? It is so hard to shake.

I work at not going there. I put effort into keeping my perspective focused on gratitude. That does not mean I walk through life with rose-colored glasses on or that I don’t understand that bad things happen to good people. I am realistic. I am grounded. And I work with people every day who come to me because they are in need. They need someone to help them see the other side, someone to help them refocus, to heal or to gain a fresh perspective. It is my job as a spiritual life coach and a shaman. So that said, I begin each day with a focus on gratitude. It helps keep my vision clear and my heart open.

When you begin your thoughts for the day with gratitude you discover yourself in a place of abundance. There is a way to find balance. You create a relationship immediately between what you have and have not. And you begin to take back the power you would have otherwise given to the have not side of the equation. You find yourself completing sentences like, “I may not have the best job for my skills, but….” or “I may not have a life partner, but…” or “Today I don’t feel very good, but…” This conversation unfolds naturally because your soul has been inspired by your thoughts of gratitude to bring to mind what you do have, or will have or what is. Your soul steps in and fills the empty gaps that you would have otherwise filled with a negative point of view if you had not taken your daily dose of gratitude.

Try this simple exercise for one week. Begin each day, before you even hop out of bed. Think of 3-5 things that you are grateful for. Then launch your day. As you begin to move through the motions you will find areas where the contrast presents itself, but now you are armed with an awareness that shifts the perspective. Now you see that there is more to you and your reality than just the deficits, the negatives or the pains. This awareness helps you move through the landmines of life with a dance of grace and a heart filled with appreciation of the possibilities.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2013 Lisa Meade