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Since most of us have the day off in celebration of Memorial Day, I feel it is the perfect time to reflect on how truly fortunate we are in this country. Things aren't perfect, and we have a LONG way to go toward coming together in UNITY. But there have been a number of individuals who have crossed my path lately, including a few clients, who are not originally from the United States. I have been blessed to hear their personal stories of the strife, struggle, loss, and unfathomable challenges they have overcome to transition their lives to this country. It really puts things into perspective of how lucky we are to live here.
The ONE thing I have observed that each and EVERY one of these survivors shares is an ATTITUDE FILLED WITH GRATITUDE. Most of them were forced to leave their families behind, many of them do not own cars, and work multiple jobs just to survive. Yet, they share a common sense of kindness and appreciation for the smallest of things. Their smiles are expressions of Soulful Bliss and they expend their energy not on complaining, but in reverence for the opportunity they feel this country has afforded them. They carry the three attributes of a master; a kind heart, words filled with compassion, and a willingness to be of service.
I once watched an interview with Oprah Winfrey in which she explained the massive transformation that started in her life 16 years ago when she started a daily ‘Gratitude Journal.’ Every night without fail, she would write down at least 5 things that she was grateful for that had occurred during the day.
“When you allow yourself to feel gratitude in the present moment, in the NOW, what I promise you is that the spiritual dimension of your life begins to change. It opens up and expands and you start to grow with it. That is the truth, if I have ever spoken the truth in my entire life. If you want to change your entire state of being, start to be grateful. ” Oprah has spread this message in many of her speeches across the globe.
The very act of gratitude opens up a channel for Joy to shine through. It might start off as a small pinhole, but with practice and focused intention, it will grow into a window wide as you ALLOW it to be! Admittedly, it is so easy to get fixated on everything that isn't going well in our lives. Jobs we dislike, money problems, and toxic relationships. Remember, Energy Flows Where Your Attention Goes!
And life has a way of surrounding us with tangible examples to shake us out of our lethargy and back into a state of appreciation and gratitude. My mom and I have been caring for a delightful woman who lives down the street from us. She has no family to speak of, suffers from multiple sclerosis, sever diabetes and has no left arm. Three days ago, her best friend, a cat named Logan, passed away. And yet, she may be one of the most grateful Souls I have ever encountered. Never ONCE have I heard her complain. She surrounds her house with mementos and joyful memories that are imbued with the passion, and joy of a life well lived. And it is absolutely humbling to be in her presence. It has a way of snapping my own problems into things of fodder.
Iyanla Vanzant has described the word PAIN to mean Pay Attention Inward Now. She believes that the path toward enlightenment is to pay attention to each stop along the way of your Journey. One stop may be an illness, another a job loss, another an amazing new relationship. And she believes that within each and every one of these stops, is a lesson for us to express Gratitude!
One of my favorite spiritual teachers, Tony Robbins explains Gratitude this way, “It is the reset button and the cleanser of the soul. When you are in a state of gratitude it is no longer about ME. It becomes about giving thanks. And when you are giving thanks you disappear. And when you disappear, I believe you reconnect to the Divine.” Amen!
Hopefully, you are understanding the Re-membrance that Gratitude is is the most direct line of connection back to SOURCE. Back to the Divine from which we came and which surrounds us always to be in service to our desires. As Bishop T.D. Jakes says , “Appreciation leads to duplication.” When we focus our energy and attention on what we are in appreciation of in our lives, it activates a system that brings even more of that very thing into our experience! Yet, most of us spend out time focused on all the things that we don't like in our lives and experience....well....even more of THAT! And I don't know about you, but I think we could all use more experiences that bring us love and inner joy! And evaporates feelings of depression and anxiety and transforms them into lasting inner PEACE.
So what would it look like, if we all started to incorporate the practice of GRATITUDE in our lies starting today. Keeping our attention on the things we are truly grateful for and perhaps even starting our own Gratitude Journal to write down at least 5 things we have appreciation for from the current day's experiences?!
Nerdmaste,
Jeffrey Louis Martinez
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