Acceptance
and Gratitude
“Gratitude
switches on a small light in my thinking; a light that grows and
grows until my whole thought is full of light... And this is
prayer.”
Anonymous
There
is a connection between a grateful state of mind and happiness. It
begins with radical self-acceptance. “This is my life. I accept it
just as it is at this moment. This is my body, mind, spirit. I accept
myself just as I am in this moment.” Once that giant hurdle is
cleared, gratitude becomes easier. The Twelve-Step folks say, “Fake
it ‘til you make it,” knowing that acceptance and gratitude for
one’s life can sometimes feel like empty platitudes. Say it anyway.
Try it as a form of prayer. “I accept myself just as I am, and I
give thanks for my life just as it is.”
The
interesting thing about gratitude, when practiced with earnestness
and regularity, is that we becomes aware of just how rich our life
is. This simple awareness lifts our spirits and causes us to be more
generous in our actions, words, and deeds. We feel content. The
practice of gratitude as prayer is one of the guiding principles of
Judaism. There are prayers of gratitude for everything from the bread
and wine, to the moon and stars. “Thanks be to you, God of the
universe, for the gift of bread.” Life, and everything in it, is
viewed as a gift from God.
Acceptance
and gratitude not only increase our awareness of the richness of
life, they causes us to feel more optimistic. When we find ourselves
in difficult circumstances, the moment it takes to give thanks, and
ask for guidance, calms us and restores clear thinking. Spiritual
poverty is the most debilitating of all simply because it separates
us from an appreciation of life's bounty. Gratitude opens us to the
Source, which then flows through us to the rest of the world.
Acceptance
and gratitude clear us of negative, anxious feelings, and keep our
bodies nourished with positive energy. Grateful, optimistic people
are simply healthier. Pessimism and robust health are incompatible.
Imagine how the world would be different if enough of us lived lives
defined by acceptance and gratitude. Today, and every day, I am
grateful for you.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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