I don’t know if I’d still be here
if it wasn’t for the practice of gratitude.
Today is not a day
where I want to revisit that time ‘before’ . . .
I’d rather dwell
on the beauty and gratitude that surround me
right now.
But I will,
just for a bit.
Learning to have thankfulness in my heart
has been a long journey,
and now,
after many years of practicing,
it has become embedded
into my being . . .
to a point now
where I can even be grateful
in times of sorrow.
I have a long way to go
before I’ve earned the long, white, flowing robes of wisdom,
but I am very much on the path.
When the day
wears me down,
I fall asleep at night
knowing that each day
is a fresh start,
a new beginning.
It didn’t use to be like that . . .
before,
I’d fall asleep with dread in my heart
and wake up in the morning
knowing there was another day ahead of me
to endure.
I thank the Universe and my Source
for all of it. ♥
Ever since I began practicing gratitude my perception of life has completely transformed. I used to spend a lot of time in a victim mentality, when things went wrong it was the end of the world, when I could not obtain a goal I swore I would reach it felt like life was falling apart.
When you begin shifting the focus to what you already have vs. what you want, from seeing only your problems to noticing they are only a fraction of an issue in someone else’s world, the shift will change you. And it is beautiful.
it creates joy and it enables to stay present even in times of sorrow or darkness, To choose to be grateful, that this is not a feeling but a decision we can choose for opened a world and a way to help coming out of fixed fear and grief. It helps to stay balanced and opens for happiness and joyful moments in the midst of life in all its expressions, independent from a cause. Thank you, Br. David and the grateful team, and thank you all who share and who visit here.
My conscious breathing is deeper, the lens of how I see the world and Her people is kinder. I’ve missed you all -my computer was hacked a bit ago, and I couldn’t access to post. Hopefully the system is back in alignment. ☮️🌺
Gratefulness is extremely helpful but as Joe Primo says in today’s quote, suffering as well as joy is always present. I had a profound lesson about that truth from my experience Tuesday when my blood pressure kept plummeting and my heart rate kept racing. My appointment with the specialist to determine if surgery would help me was to be Wednesday morning. Finally Tuesday night, I realized I was doing this to myself. That was so humbling. But accepting the validity of that fact, I found myself grateful. I had already called my son and ask him if he could come spend the night and he was on his way. He was scheduled to pick me up early Wednesday morning to go to the appointment. Admitting what I had realized to him when he arrived was also helpful. My symptoms were settling down but it was such a comfort to have someone who loved me with me. The question asked how gratefulness contributes to my overall well-being. I honestly don’t think without my gratefulness practice I could separate the fear-filled stress from my symptoms. Ironically, when I got to the doctor’s office Wednesday morning, he walked in and announced he is leaving his practice in two weeks and I will not get to see another specialist until early August! I find that a blessing as I will have more time to divide my physical symptoms from my emotional ones. Perhaps this whole exercise is more about my emotional health than I had realized. If I can get a handle on the emotional, I know that I will be much better at handling the physical. Joe’s quote and today’s question made me think of Kahlil Gibran’s book “The Prophet” and the poem he wrote on “Joy and Sorrow”.
Then a woman said, Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.
And he answered:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
Dear Carol, I hope that your heart teaches you much, and that the learning is gratifying. Last year I had moderately serious stomach problems, and decided to get into the sensation of the stomach, with the help of my therapist, as part of healing. It made a huge difference. The stomach had a lot of emotional patterns in it, and I continue to learn so much through the work. I am confident you are thinking about your heart in a fulfilling and healing way.
This is a beautiful and wise observation,
dear Carol Ann,
and it is freeing
to realize that joy and sorrow
are kindred souls.
Blessings to you
as you weed your way
through all of the decisions you must make
regarding your health.
Observation
will help you to see more clearly. ♥
When I practice gratefulness, I feel humble. I open my senses and appreciate simple things. Time slows. I absorb life rather than rushing by. I’m more relaxed, receptive, and peaceful.
According to Merriam-Webster, practice may mean “to do or perform often, customarily, or habitually”, OR “to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient”. I’m finding that I need to do more of the second in order to achieve the first. I want to get to the point where I can see what I am grateful for in almost any situation. It’s easy when things are beautiful; but in the dark places, the places that hurt my heart or trigger my pain, I have to “practice” gratitude, as in, searching for where and how I can be grateful for something in this. It is then that my heart can soften and I can move forward. This helps contribute to my overall well-being.
Practicing gratefulness has boosted my overall well-being by rewiring my brain to look for the good and realize how blessed I am in this life. This has tended to my confidence, relationships, and how I live my life in general.
When I was a teenager living in Illinois
I went with my parents
on a Sunday drive in the country . . .
we stopped at a little produce stand
to buy some fresh-picked corn.
The farmer told us the proper way to cook it.
He said,
“Start your water to boil . . .
go out in the cornfield with your knife,
cut the corn you need,
and run like hell back to the house.
If you drop an ear
don’t stop to pick it up and spoil the rest.
Keep running
and toss what’s left into the boiling water.” 🙂
and
I fully agree. Nothing compares to fresh picked corn to eat. Just some sweet cream butter and salt.
1
Joseph McCann
2 days ago
Gratefulness. Grateful living. Practicing gratitude has allowed glimmers to abound and unnecessary suffering to dissipate. Joe Primo’s ‘Word of The Day” reminds of the “ying and yang” of all emotions. Without the dark, what would the light shine through? The usefulness of a jar or other vessel is not the pretty decorations on the outside, but the space inside that can hold and contain. The pretty decorations provide visual enjoyment to my eye, and the contents within the space, may provide nourishment to my form. Both are essential to my essence. I am grateful. Namaste.
Peace, Love & Light.
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I don’t know if I’d still be here
if it wasn’t for the practice of gratitude.
Today is not a day
where I want to revisit that time ‘before’ . . .
I’d rather dwell
on the beauty and gratitude that surround me
right now.
But I will,
just for a bit.
Learning to have thankfulness in my heart
has been a long journey,
and now,
after many years of practicing,
it has become embedded
into my being . . .
to a point now
where I can even be grateful
in times of sorrow.
I have a long way to go
before I’ve earned the long, white, flowing robes of wisdom,
but I am very much on the path.
When the day
wears me down,
I fall asleep at night
knowing that each day
is a fresh start,
a new beginning.
It didn’t use to be like that . . .
before,
I’d fall asleep with dread in my heart
and wake up in the morning
knowing there was another day ahead of me
to endure.
I thank the Universe and my Source
for all of it. ♥
Ever since I began practicing gratitude my perception of life has completely transformed. I used to spend a lot of time in a victim mentality, when things went wrong it was the end of the world, when I could not obtain a goal I swore I would reach it felt like life was falling apart.
When you begin shifting the focus to what you already have vs. what you want, from seeing only your problems to noticing they are only a fraction of an issue in someone else’s world, the shift will change you. And it is beautiful.
it creates joy and it enables to stay present even in times of sorrow or darkness, To choose to be grateful, that this is not a feeling but a decision we can choose for opened a world and a way to help coming out of fixed fear and grief. It helps to stay balanced and opens for happiness and joyful moments in the midst of life in all its expressions, independent from a cause. Thank you, Br. David and the grateful team, and thank you all who share and who visit here.
Thank you too Ose .
My conscious breathing is deeper, the lens of how I see the world and Her people is kinder. I’ve missed you all -my computer was hacked a bit ago, and I couldn’t access to post. Hopefully the system is back in alignment. ☮️🌺
Glad you’re back Carla.
Carla, I’m with you on seeing people in a kinder way as I continue to outgrow rebellion and buddy systems.
Glad to find you here, Carla.
I am grateful,
dear Carla,
that your computer is better
and that all is well. ♥
Carla, glad you are back! Deep breathing helps my awareness as well.
My first thought was:
A big bright flashing ALERT ALERT
Being grateful makes me so aware of everything.
Gratefulness is extremely helpful but as Joe Primo says in today’s quote, suffering as well as joy is always present. I had a profound lesson about that truth from my experience Tuesday when my blood pressure kept plummeting and my heart rate kept racing. My appointment with the specialist to determine if surgery would help me was to be Wednesday morning. Finally Tuesday night, I realized I was doing this to myself. That was so humbling. But accepting the validity of that fact, I found myself grateful. I had already called my son and ask him if he could come spend the night and he was on his way. He was scheduled to pick me up early Wednesday morning to go to the appointment. Admitting what I had realized to him when he arrived was also helpful. My symptoms were settling down but it was such a comfort to have someone who loved me with me. The question asked how gratefulness contributes to my overall well-being. I honestly don’t think without my gratefulness practice I could separate the fear-filled stress from my symptoms. Ironically, when I got to the doctor’s office Wednesday morning, he walked in and announced he is leaving his practice in two weeks and I will not get to see another specialist until early August! I find that a blessing as I will have more time to divide my physical symptoms from my emotional ones. Perhaps this whole exercise is more about my emotional health than I had realized. If I can get a handle on the emotional, I know that I will be much better at handling the physical. Joe’s quote and today’s question made me think of Kahlil Gibran’s book “The Prophet” and the poem he wrote on “Joy and Sorrow”.
Then a woman said, Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.
And he answered:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
Kahlil Gibran The Prophet pp. 22-23
Loving kindness and healing energy to you Carol.
Dear Carol, I hope that your heart teaches you much, and that the learning is gratifying. Last year I had moderately serious stomach problems, and decided to get into the sensation of the stomach, with the help of my therapist, as part of healing. It made a huge difference. The stomach had a lot of emotional patterns in it, and I continue to learn so much through the work. I am confident you are thinking about your heart in a fulfilling and healing way.
Drea, Thanks for sharing…it’s very helpful and encouraging for me.
This is a beautiful and wise observation,
dear Carol Ann,
and it is freeing
to realize that joy and sorrow
are kindred souls.
Blessings to you
as you weed your way
through all of the decisions you must make
regarding your health.
Observation
will help you to see more clearly. ♥
Sparrow, Thanks.
((( ♥ )))
When I practice gratefulness, I feel humble. I open my senses and appreciate simple things. Time slows. I absorb life rather than rushing by. I’m more relaxed, receptive, and peaceful.
According to Merriam-Webster, practice may mean “to do or perform often, customarily, or habitually”, OR “to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient”. I’m finding that I need to do more of the second in order to achieve the first. I want to get to the point where I can see what I am grateful for in almost any situation. It’s easy when things are beautiful; but in the dark places, the places that hurt my heart or trigger my pain, I have to “practice” gratitude, as in, searching for where and how I can be grateful for something in this. It is then that my heart can soften and I can move forward. This helps contribute to my overall well-being.
I remember reading in Kristi Nelson’s book I believe, there are also reasons of what NOT to be grateful for – this is also helpful.
It helps me embrace collectivism even though individualism plays more into my strengths.
Practicing gratefulness has boosted my overall well-being by rewiring my brain to look for the good and realize how blessed I am in this life. This has tended to my confidence, relationships, and how I live my life in general.
Practicing gratefulness contributes to my overall well-being by grounding me and is a positive way to start and end my day.
some yummy food Nat’l Days:
https://nationaltoday.com/national-corn-on-the-cob-day/
https://nationaltoday.com/national-german-chocolate-cake-day/
When I was a teenager living in Illinois
I went with my parents
on a Sunday drive in the country . . .
we stopped at a little produce stand
to buy some fresh-picked corn.
The farmer told us the proper way to cook it.
He said,
“Start your water to boil . . .
go out in the cornfield with your knife,
cut the corn you need,
and run like hell back to the house.
If you drop an ear
don’t stop to pick it up and spoil the rest.
Keep running
and toss what’s left into the boiling water.” 🙂
and
it appears the end of your story is missing and of course I want to hear all of it, lol
The “and”
shouldn’t be there,
dear Michele.
The moral of the story
is to eat the corn
while it is fresh as can be. 🙂
I fully agree. Nothing compares to fresh picked corn to eat. Just some sweet cream butter and salt.
Gratefulness. Grateful living. Practicing gratitude has allowed glimmers to abound and unnecessary suffering to dissipate. Joe Primo’s ‘Word of The Day” reminds of the “ying and yang” of all emotions. Without the dark, what would the light shine through? The usefulness of a jar or other vessel is not the pretty decorations on the outside, but the space inside that can hold and contain. The pretty decorations provide visual enjoyment to my eye, and the contents within the space, may provide nourishment to my form. Both are essential to my essence. I am grateful. Namaste.
Peace, Love & Light.
I love your perspective
on ‘inside/outside’ perspective,
dear Joseph.
Each
enhances the other.
And yes,
both are essential. ♥
Practicing gratefulness makes me happy!
EJP, it definitely increases happiness.