Let's face it, in the midst of a bad day - where nothing seems to be going our way, feelings of gratitude are probably not always front and center in our thoughts. But, what if they could be? What if gratitude had the power to soften a not-so-great day? What if we had the ability to approach our days with feelings of wonderment, freshness, and appreciation? Think about it - what would your day look like, today, if you could think and feel grateful?
For a while now, in both my personal meditation practice and in the yoga classes that I teach, I have added a gratitude practice. I simply ask people (and myself) to think about all the things, big and small, that we are happy to have in our lives -- right here and right now. This practice has proven to be quite powerful. My personal experience has been that gratitude helps my perspective and focus to shift into more positive and less negative. Gratitude propels me into more spacious thinking and leads me away from the small, confusing, "rabbit hole" way of thinking. Simply put - gratitude often catapults me into the present moment and allows me to really see and appreciate the beautiful things that are right in front of me.
I recently came across a video on you-tube, "A Good Day" with Brother David Steindl-Rast. The video and his words are beautiful and inspiring. I would like to share a passage:
"You think this is just another day in your life?
It's not just another day.
It's the one day that is given to you today.
It's given to you.
It's a gift.
It's the only gift you have right now, and the only appropriate response is gratefulness."
Throughout my day, I am trying to get into the habit of looking up at the sky. No matter that it is raining, snowing, cloudy, sunny, daytime, or nighttime - the sky is always beautiful. When I think about what gratitude means to me now, I think of gratitude as an appreciation of the present moment. The more I touch upon gratitude, the more presence, and fulfillment I experience in my day. Gratitude: it is a superpower worth cultivating.
If you have a few minutes to spare, I recommend watching this video.
Click here for the link: "A Good Day" with Brother David Steindl-Rast.
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