Gratitude is an Attitude

"Let yourself be silently drawn to the stronger pull of what you really love."
? Rumi

Expressing our gratitude increases our positivity. Withholding the communication of our gratefulness decreases it.

When I remember the people who have touched my soul, my heart spontaneously springs open and I am flooded with memories and longings that remind me of the uniqueness and love each person in my life has so freely given.

I treasure those moments. In those times, I realize how often the grace of God has intervened for me in the form of these friendships.

Out of their gift of sharing their lives with me, my life has changed its course over and over. Each particular act of love, understanding, and generosity has fostered a wisdom that has opened doors and revealed new vistas, paradigms, and creations for me to explore and experience.

My limiting thoughts and beliefs change to new possibilities: emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.

Thanks-giving, enjoyment, gratitude, and Love. These are the attitudes of the enlightened mind. These are the attributes to which we can aspire. That we are even aware of their power and generosity is more than enough to be grateful for.

Giving thanks as a daily spiritual practice has been taught by the masters throughout time. It is an acknowledgement of the good that already exists in our lives and keeps the channels open for it to keep flowing.

Thanks-giving is an expression of enjoyment and evidence of a mind that is being enlightened.

Enjoyment of one's life is sometimes seen as a luxury. But the more we align ourselves with our true spiritual nature, the more we are compelled to deliberately choose to respond to life's daily adventures with enjoyment. Enjoyment is an attitude. It is a choice.

Each one of us must be conscious of that which allows and fosters enjoyment in our days and nights.

Enjoying where you are is a talent. It can be cultivated and over time it becomes natural.

Enjoyment draws one deeper into the atmosphere of Love and light, and most of all clarity. When we become aware of the omnipresence of good, gratitude and enjoyment become spontaneous.

Looking for the good everywhere becomes an automatic response when we are surrendered to giving thanks and enjoyment.

Even in the darkest times a thankful heart continues to create a tiny room of light that knows: Love never fails.

If you repeat the following throughout the day and night -- while waiting in line, in traffic, walking down the street and whenever your mind wanders into negative thought -- you may be surprised at the benefits you will reap.

"Every day, in every way, increase my wealth, increase my health, increase my money, and increase my supply of every good thing."

If you are not experiencing gratitude, if you are not enjoying your days and nights, you are in need of a grateful heart.

A grateful heart is a forgiving heart.

If you are stuck in life, you are stuck in un-forgiveness. A prosperity problem is a forgiveness problem. A depression problem is a forgiveness problem. Even health problems can be released through forgiveness.

Pride, vanity and self-pity can rob you of the vigorous healing power of release and giving thanks.

Holding your attention on the negative and ruminating over the past is debilitating. By releasing those with whom you feel have harmed you, you can let go of the past and free yourself up to enjoy your life in the present. It is essential that you forgive and release yourself also. If any negativity arises, gently remind yourself that you are aligned with the power, Love and generosity of the universe and let the negativity float away.

Spend time with those in whose presence you enjoy yourself. In my life, I enjoy being with people with whom I can simply be myself, regardless of the challenges I'm experiencing.

These are the same people who celebrate my idiosyncrasies and can share and enjoy some of what I admire.

It is important to be with friends who allow you to be yourself. Shedding the identities and roles we surrender to in the workplace and in the public eye can make us vulnerable. Being with friends who do not limit you to those roles is both invigorating and restful.

I am grateful for those who love me in spite of myself. They are the people who have accepted the shortcomings that I sometimes condemn myself for and who see through the fear that sometimes sways my actions.

I am constantly reminded and revitalized in the brilliance and potency of the commitment, and dedication of those who share in the mission we hold here at LifeForce. I am overwhelmed with gratitude that a single idea 20 years ago could unfold into the transformation of so many lives.

Gratitude reveals the sacredness of each moment we interact with each other while we are here on this earth.

In the precious moments of being awake, we experience the divine and the physical world as one. These are the moments that expand our capacity to love.

Give yourself the gift of enjoying your life. Release yourself through forgiveness and expand your consciousness through the daily practice of giving thanks.

Remember, gratitude is an attitude.
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By: Matt Garrigan