Gratitude
“Gratitude is the emotional life blood that gives us the ability to feel connected to the deepest part of ourselves and experience joy that is right before our eyes.” Ken D. Foster
As you travel through this journey called life, there will be many events that will make you feel that there is virtually no hope. You may feel and become depressed, anxious, and worried about what will take place next. During these moments it is very easy to be blind to the beauty and love that surrounds you every day. Whether you live in a city or a rural area, there are good things happening all around you, when you take time to look.
So, how do we get out of our own way to see this beauty? Nothing positive or beautiful is seen in moments of chaos, stress, negativity or depression. In fact, that is all that will be seen. Everything in life takes effort. Lessons can be taught and skills can be learned. The power lies within you. You will have to try to see the good fortune that surrounds you. Now, you may be telling yourself that you have no money in the bank, my husband/wife left me, I lost my job, and now my Toyota is getting recalled. Yet, if you start asking the right questions, I can assure you that you will feel gratitude and see the goodness in everything that is coming your way.
Are you one of those people who tend to focus on what you do not have and not what you do have? If so, have you noticed that chaos and negative outcomes seem to flow into your life continually? We all have our complaining and “the world is out to get me” moments. It is OK to notice what is not working in the world. But when we dwell on what is wrong and focus our energies on worrying, complaining or judging the world, nothing productive or good comes out of it. We tend to get what we focus on, wouldn’t you agree?
Complaining and wallowing in negativity or self-pity will cause emotional upset and stop you from being productive. The question I would like you to ask yourself is: What do you get out of complaining? Do you feel strong putting down people, places or things? Do you get a false sense of power? When you can find out what the emotional payoff is, you can stop the behavior and replace it with a more productive question. Like, “What is good about the situation?” or “What is perfect about what is happening?” or “What is the opportunity hidden in this seemingly negative situation?” These types of questions tend to focus your mind in the direction of wisdom, instead of what is wrong. So, let me ask you this, “What are you willing to do today, to stop sabotaging yourself by complaining or focusing on the negative?” The choice is yours. Are you ready to see the good fortune that is in your life? If so, read on.
There are many good things to be grateful for, yet so many of us dismiss them or take them for granted. Sometimes we just don’t see what is really happening around us, because we are caught up in what we think is right. But have you ever asked what you are not seeing that is right in your presence? Take a look right now, and find something in your environment that you are grateful for. When we see the good in life, including the good in the challenges that are coming our way, we start to realize that no matter what happens everything is there for a reason. It is there to help strengthen us, and move us forward in life.
If we want to make positive changes in how we see the world, and grow in abundance, then we must learn how to be still and master the skill of being present. What I mean by present is that the past is done and the future has not happened, yet. Therefore, to be grateful requires release of the negativity that occupies your thoughts and to give thanks for the now. If you can master the skill of being grateful, you will see significant life transformation occur. As a result, you will appreciate life and all it has to offer because you are now focusing your efforts on seeing the blessings that surround you rather than the sorrow that controlled you.
I am going to give you an assignment that will help you learn to see your blessings. Sit in a quiet place with a piece of paper, pen or pencil. Take a deep breath and look at your day. Ask yourself, “What ten things am I grateful for happening today?” Then commit to writing down ten things every day for the next seven days. In just seven days time you can change your mind and open up new possibilities for you. As you will find out, you actually do have a lot to be grateful for.
Here are some things that I have recently been grateful for. As you write your own, write them with conviction. Begin each gratitude with I AM.
1. I AM grateful that I have bills to pay, because that means I am alive to see them.
2. I AM grateful that I was sitting in rush hour traffic because that means I have a car to drive.
3. I AM grateful that I can speak so that I can help others.
4. I AM grateful that I have a job that I love because so many do not.
5. I AM grateful that I have friends, family, and pets that love me unconditionally, because many do not.
I would like to leave you with this.
Gratitude is a gift from God to help us see reality clearly and get us through the toughest of times. It unlocks the fullness in life and increases the joy that all of us have inside. It helps us turns pain into understanding, ignorance into wisdom, hate into love, chaos into order, confusion into clarity and failure to abundance. It can turn your greatest challenges into your greatest learning experiences, and your biggest mistakes become your greatest miracles. Gratitude increases your connection with the deepest part of yourself by helping you let go of the past, be in the moment, and by so doing, create a compelling future.
So, today is the perfect day to be in gratitude and face every challenge with two powerful questions; “What is perfect about this situation?”, and “What am I grateful for?”
To find out more about Ken Foster and his programs go to www.premiercoaching.com or www.theentrepreneursedgecoaching.com and check out his latest bestselling book at www.asksucceed.com.
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