How did I learn to really feel grateful?
Feeling and showing gratitude is something that I started practising a few years ago. I admit that it has been a journey. Naturally the journey started as a child when my mother taught me to say thank you. This is a mother thing right? She was my first teacher and role model and hence a major influential one. I learned my lesson well. Now as an adult I am actually attempting to describe more than a thank you in this post; I am setting out to go a further step into the realm of genuine gratitude.
To put it bluntly It took me a lifetime before I readily acquired the daily practice of really being grateful. Maybe I am being too harsh because I have always had a feeling of gratitude. I just did not take the time to express it. On reflection, I can honestly say that people were my greatest influencers. Like for instance, a kind friend challenged me with a Facebook activity to write everyday for one week 3 things I was grateful for. Being someone who always accepts challenges I did it with perhaps a teensy bit of reluctance.
The person to whom I really attribute to impacting the most on my developing sense of gratitude is Oprah Winfrey. I believe that I was at the right stage of my evolvement to really process Oprah's words . You see I was relaxed and ready to meditate the Deepak Chopra way on that fateful afternoon. I was participating in the Oprah and Deepak 21 Day Meditation Program on Grace and Gratitude.
To me everything happens at the right time. We call it synchronicity. I was ready to hear Oprah talk about showing gratitude at the little things everyday. She made sense! Make it easy I heard Oprah say. I felt motivated! I immediately acted and started my gratitude diary. Honestly It only takes me a few minutes every afternoon. Yesterday I felt grateful for:
tasting the flavours of the cold stewed pear for breakfast
reading the last chapter of AfterLife by John Edward
cuddling an 11 week old baby
Cheers
Angie
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aaahhhh you're making us all want to move to Australia again angiemitchell! fabulous. hey I've never heard of a "stewed cold pear" what is that..a pear stewed in what? I love pears. very nice relaxing post!
They are fresh pears that are pealed and stewed in a saucepan - no water. They are yummy.
oh that sounds wonderful! isn't there anything about your country that is bad? lol
Good article and a nice inspiration. Thanks for it.
I can really relate to what you're saying here @angiemitchell. I was the same for many years, not ungrateful, but not exercising gratitude in any sort of mindfulness. The teacher that got me on the path was a man named Matt Kahn. Hugely influential in my own spiritual development. I came across him about 5 years ago now, and ever since, I've incorporated a 5 minute gratitude prayer into my morning meditation, using the 'I AM' It's had a massive impact on my life! It's always nice to hear someone else embracing the same mindset.
Peace
Gratitude is to be present in life, in the highest form of your spirit. Thank you