The Power of Gratitude

There is much talk about gratitude this time of year because of the Thanksgiving holiday. While I believe in the power of the words we use, equally as important is the intent with which we use them. For many it has become blind repetition or habit to be thankful or have gratitude, especially at Thanksgiving and the religious holidays celebrated through the New Year. Many people use the words but the sincerity and intent are lacking. Just saying that you are grateful does not make you so as forced gratitude or apologies carry no authenticity, only the weight of subservience. Gratitude is a very powerful tool but it must be nurtured with love and attention or it does not grow or thrive just like a garden or children. Both gardens and children reflect what type of environment they are grown in and what they are exposed to. I would like to inspire you to help me flood our gardens, our children, and our world with more gratitude. I know I would prefer to live in a world where there is an overabundance of gratitude instead of selfish entitlement and food instead of starvation.

Gratitude is an alchemical emotion. That means that it can literally transmute lead into gold, chaos into order, and lack into abundance. Whatever we put our focus on we give energy to and help to proliferate. This is no different with gratitude. However, gratitude requires authenticity of thankfulness. In our modern technological world where the media constantly pummels us with only superficial characters addicted to plastic glamor, greed, and entitlement both authenticity and thankfulness have fallen by the wayside. Even though it may not be easy or convenient, our current culture is a fertile soil for gratitude. The less we have the more opportunities for gratitude we have in simply meeting our basic needs.

In America we take for granted being able to turn on the faucet and get water to drink. In other countries people wake up grateful they have the use of their legs to go walk miles to get water for their families while still others have gratitude for rain alone. It is all perspective. Once, I fell off my horse, broke three ribs, and collapsed my lung needing surgery to re-inflate it...and I was a single mother. The list of things that I could have complained or worried about was long but I was still able to find gratitude that I had a son, a home, friends to take care of my horse, family to watch my son while I was in the hospital, and that I even had a horse to fall off of! This attitude helped me to heal so rapidly that I was back at yoga within two months and two weeks later I was back on my horse even though I was forty-five years old. We can always find something to be grateful for no matter what is happening.

Gratitude helps us take stock of what really matters and what brings us joy. When you find yourself not having what you want it helps to make a list of what you already have that you are grateful for. This helps you bring in more to be grateful for as well. Making a gratitude list daily is even better as it becomes a way of being instead of only when you feel in lack. The only constant thing in this universe is change. So, in the inevitable coming and goings of things, experiences, and people in our lives gratitude helps us honour them more when they are with us and keeps them inside us after they are gone.

It is a sign of spiritual maturity when we can find gratitude for our challenges and those that have wounded us for in these challenges and offences lie great opportunities and the seeds of gifts for us to share. Whatever we have to work hard at we become good at and we find deeper levels of strength, self-confidence, and self-trust which is very empowering. There are many health benefits of gratitude as it also helps strengthen bonds, lowers blood pressure, helps you sleep peacefully, and fills your heart instead of emptying it among other things. It fosters growth and happiness which everyone could use more of...and yes it is still a great excuse to eat an awesome meal and spend time with those you love.

Please practice gratitude and help transform your life and our world!!!...

Wishing you a most Gratitude~filled Thanksgiving!!!

? Lisa Vunk 2014