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. 

Running on Full

Running on Full

Okay, so here is something that I’ve noticed in a lot of us. We take time off, but we don’t take down time. What’s the deal with that? It’s truly as silly as saying, “I don’t have time to stop for gas!”

It boils down to this. Each of us, from time to time, needs to vacate our life. Vacation, vacate, neato, huh? Pretty much anything can become routine and “normal.” The more routinized we get, the less we have to pay attention, and the next thing you know, it’s three months later and you wonder, “what the heck, where did the time go?”

Time doesn’t fly because we get older, time flies because we stop paying attention to it.

Isn’t that interesting?

Time doesn’t fly away like it used to since I learned about this. All I have to do is pay a little attention to the day, the week, the month, the year, every day. I tend to do that sitting on my porch, looking at my little slice of nature.

But I digress.

Digressing from what we normally do refreshes us. It’s like hitting a reset button. All I have to do is either something I’ve never done before, or rarely, or something really different that I really like, and, BAM, I am ready to go again with awareness and presence and joy.

So, on the one hand, there is the old saw, “A change is as good as a rest.” I love it, and live it.

On the other hand, sometimes one man’s change is another man’s routine. For me, the difference between washing dishes at home, and at the cabin isn’t enough of a difference, although I know it may be for you.

For me, I live in landlocked Minnesota. I like a nice ocean for my change. Or a mountain. Or both. I’m not picky.

But I digress.

Go go go is wonderful for getting things done, but, unless I am in a big avoidance thing, I need to stop and run in neutral for a while. I used to think I did that when I watch TV, but came to discover that watching TV wasn’t really all that relaxing. It is definitely distracting, but for relaxing, I kinda need to read, or knit, or sit. There are tons of non-TV things to do, and don’t get me wrong, I love to watch TV, but when I need to vacate, other stuff is better at leaving me feeling refreshed.

Sometimes, a nap will do it, sometimes a little drive, or a visit with one of my darling and beloved friends, some of whom are also family. Taking a few minutes to spend admiring my pet snails will give me a quick refresh, as does taking a moment to look out the window. As I practice building these little moments into my life, I find that I can get stuff done, and still take a moment. It’s as much about my attitude as anything else.

How have I changed from go go go to filling my tank before it hits empty?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2013 all rights reserved 12162013

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