A lot of things are out of our control right now, and it is difficult to listen to the news and not feel a little bit alarmed. There is literally nothing we can do about a lot of things. And we have to practice self-sanity and self-care through all of this. That might sound like, “I am going to take care of myself and my sanity during this very difficult time.” It also can be beneficial to focus on your soul care as well, limiting the negative, speaking up for and encouraging the positive, spending enough time in meditation and silence, connecting with nature, intentional times of prayer, and it is not unheard of to go to God with our tears. We are going to be needed, so our energy is best focused on longevity of ourselves as a resource in this ongoing chaotic mess that life can be and is going to be in the near future. Ironically, we can be the best in the future when we are committed to being as totally present as possible in the moment. We can’t go back and undo any of the choices that have been made. But we can make new ones, one moment and one day at a time.
Some things are scary as we think about what the changes might mean in our lives. We honestly and validly feel out of control. But we are almost always in control of our own reactions and our attitudes. Sometimes it is good to find something good to do in the world or reconnect to something that gives you joy.
Sometimes we have to just allow ourselves to remain as innocent and as open as we can be. This includes being generous. Helping others helps to raise our spirits, especially if we see it as helping long term. And we are entering the season of giving. The boxes of thanksgiving foods will be taken to the food pantry today. You have been wonderfully generous. Thank you!
And it feels comforting and good to give and has been shown scientifically that we feel even better buying something for others than buying things for ourselves. It is especially important and memorable if you give a gift out of gratitude to that person in your life. So today we are going to focus on gratitude and how it affects us physically, mentally, and spiritually.
I’m not saying not to grieve or feel bad during these chaotic times, and I am not saying not to be angry, but we are the Lights in this world and we have to continue to shine. We can’t let our Lights go dim in the face of adversity. This is when we are needed the most. So how do we do that?
A story on the internet goes, “A little boy of six was invited to his neighbor’s home for a meal. As soon as all were seated at the table the food was served. The little boy was puzzled, and with a child’s frankness asked, “don’t you say a prayer before you eat?” The host was uncomfortable and mumbled, “No, we don’t take time for that.” The boy thought silently for a while, and said, “you’re just like my dog, you just dive right in.”
If we are diving in with gratitude, we might have an argument to make with the child. But how much of our days are spent in a cloud, out of touch with what is good in our lives diving in without thought of thanks for anything – like our food or the hands that prepared it. Gratitude shouldn’t be mandated, because it needs to be encouraged freely. But when you are grateful, good things happen, and your Light definitely shines brighter as a result.
Gratitude alone is good for you in many ways. It might not change the food in front of you, but the attitude of gratefulness can help you to slow down and enjoy it mindfully, actually taste the food and reflect on the hands that made it or the hands that pulled it from the field. So many people to be grateful for when we start breaking something down – but try it. Think about something you are doing and break it down, being thankful for not just the thing or the action, but what it took for it to be there for you; like being thankful for the soda, for the person who helped manufacture it, for the aluminum it is wrapped in, the sugar that sweetens it taste, for the refreshment it brings. If we follow all of these steps to being thankful about our soda, the experience of drinking the soda will have more value. Even though soda is not good for you. Think about how wonderful it is to be grateful for all of the steps and counter effects of something that is good for you? Like beautiful nature, or salmon being restored.
Among many things, gratitude is good for your health unlike sodas, so disassemble your blessings and give thanks. In a study at the University of California and the University of Miami, participants were asked to write each day about what affected them. A third of the group was not given any parameters, just to say how the day affected them. Then one third was asked to write down something that had irritated them during the day. The last third was asked to write down something they were thankful for during the day. Of course, as you might imagine, the ones who chose consistently positive things to write down were more optimistic at the end of the study. But what they found also was that the ones who wrote down what they were grateful for had fewer visits to the doctor. There have been many more studies that specifically show that a grateful heart helps to guard our health from speeding up healing to fighting off disease. Optimism counts! Having a thankful spirit has many other good benefits, though.
And you heard the poem that Wendy read. We say “thank you” a lot out of politeness rather than gratitude. What if every time you said “thank you,” you took a second to reflect on it and mean it? Ask yourself, “Am I thankful?”
Some other positive effects of gratitude are that it mentally reduces depression, stress and anxieties. According to Harvard’s research on gratitude, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people to feel more positive emotions as they optimistically look for something to be grateful for. Those special moments in life that are surrounded with gratitude are valued more, and gratitude helps us to cherish the good times with more vivid memories. Thankfulness helps us deal with adversity by finding the silver lining on dark clouds of life. And being a thankful friend or spouse who notices what others are doing for them in this world strengthens the bonds of relationships. Be aware of what your friends are doing well for themselves and for this world, and thank them, not just when but especially when something is done for you.
Gratitude itself produces change in the way we think. Emotionally it breaks the hold of a toxic way of thinking and helps us to let go of resentments. It reduces self-centeredness and materialism so helps us to live more simple lives in a happier frame of mind. It takes our focus off our problems and promotes awareness of the spiritual aspect of our lives. Thankfulness can be shown for something that happened in the past, but it fosters an appreciation now for what we have and helps to bring about a peaceful disposition. If we want to live out the testimonies of Simplicity and Peace, we can start by being mindful of things and situations, to be thankful for, even appreciative for the lessons learned or the knowledge some not-so-good time has taught us.
We were wired to be our best selves when we are grateful. Thankfulness definitely affects our spiritual lives and increases mindfulness.
But any changes in your life because of an attitude of gratefulness can take a while, so be patient. Studies show that it takes a minimum of four weeks of being regularly thankful to produce any real benefits. Hang on and keep finding the good that is out here, because it is worth it just for your spiritual life. Dale Darley shows that gratitude repairs the inner mechanisms of our minds. Focused on the spiritual aspects of gratitude, she points out that gratitude is from the heart. It helps to identify innate gifts that have been overlooked. Gratitude includes being thankful for how our bodies uniquely heal and work. It helps us to connect to inner wisdom and keeps us grounded in reality. We begin to recognize the beauty of nature and acknowledge good things around us by opening up awareness and thoughtfulness into a broader perspective.
By focusing on what is going right, we begin to have a much better sense of well-being. Gratitude also shifts our perspective to a sense of wonder, enjoyment, and goodness. It just takes small, consistent changes in perception to have an impact on how you feel about your life, but it is worth it to harvest a grateful soul.
Think about what the word appreciation means. If a stock or a CD appreciates, it rises in value. By appreciating your life, you begin to value aspects of your life more, and they have an increased worth to you. Since we are told in the Bible that every good and perfect gift comes from God, it helps us to see more of the good in this world, and be thankful to God for them. It can strengthen that relationship as we learn to have a more thankful attitude and more appreciation too God. Our lives themselves will appreciate when we transform our perspective from one of lack to one of abundance.
So what are you thankful for in your life?
How can you improve your life with gratitude?
Sources:
Giving thanks can make you happier
Each holiday season comes with high expectations for a cozy and festive time of year. However, for many this time of year is tinged with sadness, anxiety, or depression. Certainly, major depression or a severe anxiety disorder benefits most from professional help. But what about those who just feel lost or overwhelmed or down at this time of year? Research (and common sense) suggests that one aspect of the Thanksgiving season can actually lift the spirits, and it’s built right into the holiday — being grateful.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier
13 Most Popular Gratitude Exercises & Activities
We usually show our gratitude to others when we feel indebted to them, when we have benefitted from their actions, and when we want to make our feelings towards them known.
https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-exercises
Spiritual Practices: Gratitude
The spiritual practice of gratitude has been called a state of mind and a way of life. But we prefer to think of it as a grammar — an underlying structure that helps us construct and make sense out of our lives. The rules of this grammar cover all our activities. Its syntax reveals a system of relationships linking us to the divine and to every other part of the creation.
https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/alphabet/view/13/gratitude
How Can Our Gratitude Contribute to World Peace?
Every day we witness the brutality of war and atrocity, and can feel hopeless or doubt that anything we do as an individual can have a positive impact. International Day of World Peace was celebrated recently so now might be a good time to reflect on how our own gratitude can make a difference.
https://grateful.org/resource/can-gratitude-contribute-world-peace/
Thanks by W.S. Mervin
Listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you…
0 Comments