Feeling the benefits of gratitude
is a vast experiential treasure.
I felt grateful this morning
that I didn’t hit a bicyclist that was riding at the edge of the road
when the sun blocked my eyesight . . .
it felt like a shot of adrenaline,
and I saw the person on the bicycle
living through the day,
not knowing he had been almost struck and maybe killed . . .
by me.
Feeling those benefits this spring
when my flower gardens exploded into a choir of colours,
(‘Ode to Joy’ playing in my head)
filled my whole body . . .
face, heart, solar plexus,
feet and lungs with a warm and satisfied glow.
That my son wrote to tell me of his beloved dog’s encounter with a rattlesnake,
and the fact that he was able to be treated by a vet nearby,
felt like arms wrapped around my heart,
that Minky was going to live,
but also that my son sought to share it with me.
Gratitude makes me blush,
it makes my heart sing . . .
it promotes hope in my soul,
and eases my anxiety about the future of the world.
Gratefulness
for the quiet things . . .
the rabbits nibbling on my clover,
the robin and the wren nesting on my porch
fill my primitive mind,
giving me pleasure
that I can host and support the indigenous wildlife.
I mourned the loss of the new fawn that was run over in front of my house,
but softened by the knowledge
that the mother still has a place to nestle comfortably
in the middle of one of my garden beds . . .
does she feel grief?
She at least find safe respite.
Doing positive things
makes me feel alive . . .
doing negative things
makes me feel soured inside.
I choose positive.
in those moments of having chosen gratefulness, it might run down from the mind´s ignited perception to my heart, altering my inner state, softening and open some reserved or even closed parts of it.
I have appreciated thinking of this and reading your answers. I tend to be “in my head” a lot, so I haven’t really paid attention to what gratefulness feels like in my body. I have been helped by a therapist suggesting that I pay attention to what emotions like grief or fear or anger feel like, but it never occurred to me to pay attention to the sensation of positive emotions. The next time I feel wholeheartedly grateful, I will try to remember to tune in to how it feels in my body.
p.s. I am reminded of the phrase “grateful for the great fullness of life” and that gratefulness encompasses both the joys AND the sorrows. I am feeling sorrowful today, but I just tried looking out at the bird bath in my back yard. On the one hand, I continued to feel a deep hard pit of sorrow in my belly about events in the world and country, about a friend’s new cancer diagnosis, about the awful air quality in my town due to forest fires (fortunately not close enough to be a threat to our town). On the other hand, I felt the edges of my lips pull up into an involuntary smile, watching the birds drink and play and splash in the water.
I feel gratefulness in my body as a warmth in my chest and as ease in my breathing.
I also feel it as a warmth and sometimes a teary-ness in my eyes. I also feel it as a relaxation of the muscles in my jaw.
I felt gratefulness last evening when I was sitting with my Mom and another resident at Mom’s assisted living facility. The other woman’s daughter dropped by to say hi, and told me she had sat with her Mom and my Mom last Sunday at dinner, and had enjoyed talking with my Mom.
Mom still doesn’t socialize much so still doesn’t have friends where she lives. I was so pleased to see that this woman had taken the time to get to know my Mom. I was very grateful to her because I would love for Mom to feel a sense of belonging in the place that is now her home.
Thank you for sharing this story of how this simple gesture of kindness from the other woman’s daughter was so meaningful! I can definitely see how it would be very meaningful to hear that she was getting to know your mom, and enjoying it as well.
Sometimes tears manifest in the corners of my eyes. Many times I feel a warmth in the chest area. It’s like a self-love-hug. One that stands out is last weekend when my son arrived. He came even though I could tell that he did not feel well. I tried to get him to lie down and rest but he insisted on doing several chores that he knows I cannot do. When he left I expressed my thanks and told him I hoped he had a chance to lie down and wished him a good rest of the day. His response, “Every day’s a good day, Mama.” Even as a small child, he so deeply embraced and appreciated life. He is such a gift to me.
My face. I cannot hide my emotions no matter how hard I try! When I feel gratitude, my face softens, my brow unfurrows, my teeth unclench. Trying to mindfully do those right now as I’m finishing my final project for my final class in my final graduate program to become certified as a literacy specialist!
I feel a softening all over my body, especially in my shoulders and chest area. My heart feels a lil less heavy. I felt this the other day.
I had a dream, about an old friend of mine, I haven’t spoken with her in over 5 years. I was missing her but also recognized she wasn’t always kind to me. Then I began to wonder why was I missing her, when I have a current friend who is unbelievably loving and kind to me. I then realized how I was also missing my ex-partner, who lied to me, gaslit me, made me feel like I was always the bad guy. Why was I missing him, when I currently have a loving and kind partner? I started to get a bit angry at myself, for longing for these people who weren’t good for me and not truly being grateful for those who are in my life right now. Once the anger came and went, I was able to feel a profound sense of gratefulness for my friend and partner, knowing they are the ones I should be focusing my attention on and not those in the past. And for that, I am grateful. 🙏🏽🧡
And for you, I am grateful, Jennifer.
Thank you for sharing from your heart,
and writing about real emotions and experiences
that you are dealing with in your life.
Yours are such generous shares,
and I love getting to know you
as you write about how you process your life.
Wishing you many joys and blessings.
I feel gratefulness when I wake in the morning, place my feet on the ground & thank the Divine for the gift of a new & beautiful day. I am ready to meet & greet the day ahead with a thankful heart.
Happy Thursday to All …… 🕊️🩷
First in my heart, and then my whole body. I felt this last night. I had been neck-deep in researching and sorting out end of life issues for my loved one with end-stage cancer. I’m one who needs to know the “why” and as many details as possible in advance. As I learned more, I felt intensely worried and sad. When I’d done the best that I could, and shared the information with the people who needed to know, I felt very grateful to be finished! Also grateful that my research can make life and decisions easier on the others.
I felt it yesterday. I had been experiencing body tension. I thought about all the folks that reached out to me either physically, through books or zoom groups and felt a sense of wholeness and lightness.
I used to struggle with a sleep disorder, especially when dealing with the stress of heavy schoolwork. After returning to the U.S. from Vietnam for summer break, I’m grateful that I can now sleep through the night. I feel blessed by this experience, since many people usually develop sleep issues when traveling between different countries and adjusting to new time zones. May everyone stay healthy and joyful today! 🌸
My Ngoc, I’ve noticed that you’ve been doing an excellent job with that. It’s even better when both members of the couple are able to get a good night sleep which we’re fortunate to have as of recently. That goes a long ways.
When I practice gratefulness, I feel it in my whole body. I can feel a relaxing of muscles and a calming of the breath and a general release of tension. Also I can feel it in my heart. It’s a feeling of fullness.
I can usually access these feelings just by slowing down and taking a minute. That’s the beauty of this practice.
Thank you, to all that participate here in this forum. Your wisdom and honesty and sharing is such a balm in this crazy topsy turvy world. 🙏
I too,
am thankful, dear Charlie,
for all who participate here . . .
the ‘wisdom and honesty’
are indeed a balm in this world,
which is so full of deception,
falsehoods, gaslighting that goes on.
I am thankful for you too,
for all that you choose to share here
with love . . . ♥
Gratefulness unfolds as a gentle warm sensation in my solar plexus. I too feel an adrenaline surge that becomes a brimming smile with a burst of energy at times, too,
I feel it in my heart and all of the space around it. I felt it after a class the other night. One lady said she was so glad she came and that she really felt good after our practice, and another one said I had the most soothing voice she’s ever heard. I was so grateful for the kind words, but most of all that they enjoyed our practice. My heart was full.
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Feeling the benefits of gratitude
is a vast experiential treasure.
I felt grateful this morning
that I didn’t hit a bicyclist that was riding at the edge of the road
when the sun blocked my eyesight . . .
it felt like a shot of adrenaline,
and I saw the person on the bicycle
living through the day,
not knowing he had been almost struck and maybe killed . . .
by me.
Feeling those benefits this spring
when my flower gardens exploded into a choir of colours,
(‘Ode to Joy’ playing in my head)
filled my whole body . . .
face, heart, solar plexus,
feet and lungs with a warm and satisfied glow.
That my son wrote to tell me of his beloved dog’s encounter with a rattlesnake,
and the fact that he was able to be treated by a vet nearby,
felt like arms wrapped around my heart,
that Minky was going to live,
but also that my son sought to share it with me.
Gratitude makes me blush,
it makes my heart sing . . .
it promotes hope in my soul,
and eases my anxiety about the future of the world.
Gratefulness
for the quiet things . . .
the rabbits nibbling on my clover,
the robin and the wren nesting on my porch
fill my primitive mind,
giving me pleasure
that I can host and support the indigenous wildlife.
I mourned the loss of the new fawn that was run over in front of my house,
but softened by the knowledge
that the mother still has a place to nestle comfortably
in the middle of one of my garden beds . . .
does she feel grief?
She at least find safe respite.
Doing positive things
makes me feel alive . . .
doing negative things
makes me feel soured inside.
I choose positive.
in those moments of having chosen gratefulness, it might run down from the mind´s ignited perception to my heart, altering my inner state, softening and open some reserved or even closed parts of it.
Beautiful.
Thank you Ose. ☀️
I have appreciated thinking of this and reading your answers. I tend to be “in my head” a lot, so I haven’t really paid attention to what gratefulness feels like in my body. I have been helped by a therapist suggesting that I pay attention to what emotions like grief or fear or anger feel like, but it never occurred to me to pay attention to the sensation of positive emotions. The next time I feel wholeheartedly grateful, I will try to remember to tune in to how it feels in my body.
p.s. I am reminded of the phrase “grateful for the great fullness of life” and that gratefulness encompasses both the joys AND the sorrows. I am feeling sorrowful today, but I just tried looking out at the bird bath in my back yard. On the one hand, I continued to feel a deep hard pit of sorrow in my belly about events in the world and country, about a friend’s new cancer diagnosis, about the awful air quality in my town due to forest fires (fortunately not close enough to be a threat to our town). On the other hand, I felt the edges of my lips pull up into an involuntary smile, watching the birds drink and play and splash in the water.
Light and Darkness One can not exist without the other. Peace and solace Elizabeth.
Thank you, Joseph ♥️
I feel gratefulness in my body as a warmth in my chest and as ease in my breathing.
I also feel it as a warmth and sometimes a teary-ness in my eyes. I also feel it as a relaxation of the muscles in my jaw.
I felt gratefulness last evening when I was sitting with my Mom and another resident at Mom’s assisted living facility. The other woman’s daughter dropped by to say hi, and told me she had sat with her Mom and my Mom last Sunday at dinner, and had enjoyed talking with my Mom.
Mom still doesn’t socialize much so still doesn’t have friends where she lives. I was so pleased to see that this woman had taken the time to get to know my Mom. I was very grateful to her because I would love for Mom to feel a sense of belonging in the place that is now her home.
Thank you for sharing this story of how this simple gesture of kindness from the other woman’s daughter was so meaningful! I can definitely see how it would be very meaningful to hear that she was getting to know your mom, and enjoying it as well.
It did mean a lot to me.😊
Wishing the best for your mom, Mary. I hope she and the woman become friends.
Yess, same here. 💕
Sometimes tears manifest in the corners of my eyes. Many times I feel a warmth in the chest area. It’s like a self-love-hug. One that stands out is last weekend when my son arrived. He came even though I could tell that he did not feel well. I tried to get him to lie down and rest but he insisted on doing several chores that he knows I cannot do. When he left I expressed my thanks and told him I hoped he had a chance to lie down and wished him a good rest of the day. His response, “Every day’s a good day, Mama.” Even as a small child, he so deeply embraced and appreciated life. He is such a gift to me.
“Every day is a good day, Mama.”
I love that, Carol!
What a son you have,
dear Carol . . .
“every day is a good day” ♥
My face. I cannot hide my emotions no matter how hard I try! When I feel gratitude, my face softens, my brow unfurrows, my teeth unclench. Trying to mindfully do those right now as I’m finishing my final project for my final class in my final graduate program to become certified as a literacy specialist!
Good luck with finals!
Great accomplishment! Literacy is the gateway to so, so much.
I feel a softening all over my body, especially in my shoulders and chest area. My heart feels a lil less heavy. I felt this the other day.
I had a dream, about an old friend of mine, I haven’t spoken with her in over 5 years. I was missing her but also recognized she wasn’t always kind to me. Then I began to wonder why was I missing her, when I have a current friend who is unbelievably loving and kind to me. I then realized how I was also missing my ex-partner, who lied to me, gaslit me, made me feel like I was always the bad guy. Why was I missing him, when I currently have a loving and kind partner? I started to get a bit angry at myself, for longing for these people who weren’t good for me and not truly being grateful for those who are in my life right now. Once the anger came and went, I was able to feel a profound sense of gratefulness for my friend and partner, knowing they are the ones I should be focusing my attention on and not those in the past. And for that, I am grateful. 🙏🏽🧡
And for you, I am grateful, Jennifer.
Thank you for sharing from your heart,
and writing about real emotions and experiences
that you are dealing with in your life.
Yours are such generous shares,
and I love getting to know you
as you write about how you process your life.
Wishing you many joys and blessings.
I feel gratefulness when I wake in the morning, place my feet on the ground & thank the Divine for the gift of a new & beautiful day. I am ready to meet & greet the day ahead with a thankful heart.
Happy Thursday to All …… 🕊️🩷
First in my heart, and then my whole body. I felt this last night. I had been neck-deep in researching and sorting out end of life issues for my loved one with end-stage cancer. I’m one who needs to know the “why” and as many details as possible in advance. As I learned more, I felt intensely worried and sad. When I’d done the best that I could, and shared the information with the people who needed to know, I felt very grateful to be finished! Also grateful that my research can make life and decisions easier on the others.
God bless you as you journey with your friend.
Thank you so much Yram.
Drea, these are not easy times and I bless you and your beautiful caregiving. It will stay with you forever❤️
Thank you so much Claire Jay. I haven’t experienced this before. I really appreciate your support.
I felt it yesterday. I had been experiencing body tension. I thought about all the folks that reached out to me either physically, through books or zoom groups and felt a sense of wholeness and lightness.
I used to struggle with a sleep disorder, especially when dealing with the stress of heavy schoolwork. After returning to the U.S. from Vietnam for summer break, I’m grateful that I can now sleep through the night. I feel blessed by this experience, since many people usually develop sleep issues when traveling between different countries and adjusting to new time zones. May everyone stay healthy and joyful today! 🌸
My Ngoc, I’ve noticed that you’ve been doing an excellent job with that. It’s even better when both members of the couple are able to get a good night sleep which we’re fortunate to have as of recently. That goes a long ways.
When I practice gratefulness, I feel it in my whole body. I can feel a relaxing of muscles and a calming of the breath and a general release of tension. Also I can feel it in my heart. It’s a feeling of fullness.
I can usually access these feelings just by slowing down and taking a minute. That’s the beauty of this practice.
Thank you, to all that participate here in this forum. Your wisdom and honesty and sharing is such a balm in this crazy topsy turvy world. 🙏
😊
I too,
am thankful, dear Charlie,
for all who participate here . . .
the ‘wisdom and honesty’
are indeed a balm in this world,
which is so full of deception,
falsehoods, gaslighting that goes on.
I am thankful for you too,
for all that you choose to share here
with love . . . ♥
Yes, Charlie “a feeling of fullness in the heart.” Maybe, Stop…look…go is really Stop..look…feel…go!
Thank you for participating too, Charlie. I always enjoy reading your posts.
Gratefulness unfolds as a gentle warm sensation in my solar plexus. I too feel an adrenaline surge that becomes a brimming smile with a burst of energy at times, too,
I feel it everywhere all the time. Being in an easier stretch of my life now certainly helps.
I feel it in my heart and all of the space around it. I felt it after a class the other night. One lady said she was so glad she came and that she really felt good after our practice, and another one said I had the most soothing voice she’s ever heard. I was so grateful for the kind words, but most of all that they enjoyed our practice. My heart was full.
❤️
🙂
Oh, lovely feedback Sunnypatti! What an affirmation that you’re on a good path.
Thank you, Drea. As someone who has had self-esteem issues, I appreciated their feedback.