Prevailing Winds
So powerful is the practice of gratitude that others will be lifted by being in your presence, helping them become different and better as well. Gratitude is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Strength, Grace & Mobility
Gratitude
Gratitude is our front line defense against stress, anxiety and despair. And if that’s not enough, Cicero described it as “not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others, the moral memory of mankind, the most passionate transformative force in the cosmos, the key that opens all doors, and the quality that makes us and keeps us young.”
Appreciation Matters
Gratitude is mindfulness in action. It requires heightened awareness of our environment. And nowhere is the impact more deeply felt than in our personal relationships.
Loving Kindness
As odd as it may sound, we truly can’t love others unless we first love ourselves. It’s a bit like math. The depth to which we connect with others correlates to the degree to which we love our selves.
Filling the Reservoir
We are born with this inner well-spring of positivity. It’s our innate source of growth and resiliency. The best part is that this active ingredient is endlessly renewed with continued use. That means, the more you seek out positive experiences the deeper your reservoir becomes.
Waking Up to What Is
The cultivation of positivity is a practice and, at times, may seem too simplistic to be true. Rest assured this is not a “fake it till you make it” practice. It requires effort, but it will be worth your while. Try it out. Be your own experiment/experimenter.
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Positivity is not about putting on a happy face. It’s about resilience. Positivity consists of a range of emotions from appreciation to love, amusement to joy, hope to gratitude, and then some.
“Thanks!”
Exploring how kindness and appreciation flow back and forth in couples, Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D, examined how people habitually express appreciation to their partners. Turns out some people say “thanks” better than others.
Learning to Stay
When attention is strong, we can simply do what we are doing, moment to moment. If we are peeling an orange, we may notice the stickiness of the juice, the smell of the orange oil, and a host of other sensations
Find Your Theme Song
Try this simple strategy and your relationship with yourself will change. When the thoughts in your head grow less judgmental and more accepting, you’ll find that the world opens up for you. Take this small step to reconnect to the amazing soul that you are.
Surrender
Ishvara pranidhana, or surrender, presupposes that we are part of something larger – call it God, spiritual energy, or life. It is believed this force is greater than us and wants us to thrive. If you think of this “energy” as nature, it’s easy to…