It is easy to be thankful when things are going our way, but it is especially important to connect with feelings of genuine gratitude when things are not going our way.
When dreams are not coming true, when hearts are broken, when we are experiencing illness and loss, or when we fall short of any of our goals, it is always possible to achieve a sense of gratitude. This requires open-mindedness and a shift in perspective, and the resulting gratitude leads to a happier and healthier life.
Now that the year-end holiday season is upon us, we find ourselves in a perfect time to celebrate the many blessings in our lives. It may sound simplistic, but truly, being grateful merely requires a willingness to be grateful. By collapsing the resistance, we create an opening through which the light can seep in and begin to take away our pain or disappointment.
Gratitude is the result of a choice, and an act of will. Willingness to be grateful is the first step. As yourself, “If I were grateful, what would I be grateful for?”
I’m not suggesting fake gratitude, but real gratitude. There are no benefits to false gratitude. Don’t pretend you’re thankful for what hurts. Instead, try changing your perspective to identify a true point of appreciation inside the situation.
For example, you may dread your job, but you appreciate your paycheck, your work friends, the intellectual stimulation you get from challenging tasks, your routine coffee shop visit, or whatever else comes up as a positive aspect of your job.
Another example is last year, a friend of mine was making plans for a well-deserved vacation. She had the flights booked, the rental car arranged, the hotel reserved, and even tickets to a concert and a play. But then a sudden serious illness in her family made the trip impossible and the whole thing fell apart.
Not only was my friend dealing with her worries about the illness and the disappointment about the canceled vacation, but she had the unpleasant task of dismantling the entire trip—trying to get refunds or vouchers to reschedule at later time. What a disaster! But I was amazed at her composure as she told me she was grateful that the illness came before she left, instead of while she was thousands of miles away from home.
There is always, always something to be grateful for. Every cloud has a silver lining.
As we work in the Akashic Records, the more we are open to goodness without dictating exactly how it must arrive, the more we can receive from any situation. Gratitude is a spiritual practice and a choice—aiming to be mostly grateful, most of the time. No one can expect you to be positive at every moment about every situation, but make an effort to bring gratitude into even the most difficult situations. A relentless mindset of gratitude is well worth cultivating.
I am grateful to be with all of you on this wonderful journey of our lifetime, and I wish you the joy and peace that the spiritual practice of gratitude brings!