The Power of Gratitude

The Power of Gratitude April 26, 2014

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I am not always as grateful as I would like to be.

Sometimes I see things, situations, even people, as obstacles. I do not look for what I can learn from them. I do not try to find how they can help me recognize my true self, know who I really am.

I experience them as challenges to be overcome, as quickly and easily as possible.

Sometimes I get tired or frustrated. I feel like I keep running into a brick wall, making the same mistakes again and again. I am not trying to become stronger or better, I just want to finish this project and move on to do something else, something different.

The power of gratitude, of being grateful for the possibilities, is in the ways it works to change me.

When I take the opportunity and remember to practice gratitude, I appreciate the wonders all around me. I recognize how I am growing and learning. I begin to see my potential to become more of who I see myself to be.

I remember the people who have given me great gifts of their time, their insights, their patience. Gratitude helps me give the gifts of my deepest self to other people.

It is not about feeling grateful when I am happy, or safe, or secure. It is quite the opposite.

When I practice gratitude, I see things more clearly. I appreciate the sacred depth that is so easy for me to forget. I am reminded of how precious, how valuable this life is. I remember it is filled with incredible potential.

I become grateful especially for the people and circumstances I experience as challenging.

The transforming power of gratitude brings out the best in me.

How is gratitude shaping you today?

When do you remember to be grateful?

[Image by Orin Zebest]


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