Gratitude - recognizing the sources of our blessings

Gratitude is the act of recognizing that blessings and benefits in our lives do not just happen. Gratitude is a recognition of the various kinds of sources for everything we have and experience. This recognition is usually an unfolding process as we notice and learn to appreciate the intricacies of how things are bound together.

Gratitude is a two fold process of 

1) acknowledging all the many and varied sources of influence on who we are, on what we have, and on what we experience.

2) an expression of thanks for the contribution toward these blessings.

When we are overwhelmed with problems and difficulties and worries, we often lose sight of the blessings we do have, and we often neglect to express thanks to those who have contributed. When we take time to focus on the blessings in our lives, we become more sensitive to noticing even more blessings than we had previously realized were in our lives. When we take time to focus on these blessings we are much more prepared and likely to remember to thank those responsible. When we take time to focus on these blessings we begin to recognize that even things that we have assumed were curses or obstacles, have an element of blessing in them. When we take time to focus on these blessings we open our wondrous minds up to new possibilities of using the blessings in our lives to address the troubles and obstacles. 

an excerpt from the Thanksgiving page of the Mindful Living section

www.yourwondrousmind.com

https://www.yourwondrousmind.com/thanksgiving.html