The Gratitude Attitude

The Gratitude Attitude

Why do I go on and on about gratitude? Do you have an idea? Or have you experienced it for yourself?

Gratitude is like the Windex of emotions.

When I am feeling resentful, or judged, when I am feeling sorry for myself, or short-changed, annoyed, anxious, or doomed, really going to grateful is like hitting a reset button.

It’s one of the reasons I like to start my day with my list of appreciations, which I write even before coffee. It sets the tone of my day.

On the one hand, I can look at my life and see all the places that need work, all the things I *should* be doing, ways I could be a better person, the places I feel stuck, blah blah blah. Nobody can bring me down quite like I can.

On the other hand,  no matter how crappy my life seems, I know there are a lot of people who would give their right arm for my life.

Gratitude. Why am I grateful? Why do I see the good? How do I find the value? What makes me notice the gift?

One of my goals is to live my natural life most of the time. That means feeling peaceful, blissful, contented, satisfied, soul-happy, prosperous, generous, creative, productive, loving and loved, supportive and supported, connected, engaged, and a host of other nice adjectives. When I go to gratitude, it often takes me to my natural life, my core self.

When I remember that the world is here for me to do with as I will, to take for good or ill, to see as a haven, or hell, I get to choose, and frankly, I make way better choices when I am grateful.

I believe that I am here, among other reasons, to learn some very specific, personal lessons. I believe that the crappy things that happen in my life are often opportunities for me to learn those lessons. I believe that because I would rather think that there is a point to the crap that happens in my life.

Otherwise it just sucks.

When I feel grateful, I look for the silver linings. I look for the lesson. I look for the way through. And I find them. Maybe I just make ‘em up, but I’ll take it.

I mean, I like a good pity-party as much as the next guy, but like drunken bacchanals, they tend to get pretty tedious after the first eight minutes or so.

My point is that going to this-is-how-my-life-rocks instead of this-is-how-my-life-sucks creates more awesomeness. Rehearsing self-pity makes more stuff to feel awful about. Law of Attraction 101.

How have I changed from rehearsing the crap to practicing gratitude?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2014 all rights reserved 04222014

What are you grateful for this very moment? What is something you really value, and take for granted? What is something you love about yourself? If you like what you find here, please interact with the page by + or share.