The Joy of Gratitude

Living in gratitude is one of the best ways to move forward on your spiritual path.
 
DURING A QUICK STOP AT A CONVENIENCE STORE, I overheard a profound conversation between two people at a coffee counter. "How are you doing today?" asks the store manager. The customer takes his attention away from his paper cup, looks up and is smiling. "I'm grateful I'm not in the hospital," he says and happily goes back to preparing his coffee. This seemingly simple exchange had a deep impact on me as I was awestruck by customer's gratitude at the simple pleasure of being out and about. This is the kind of gratitude that opens up pathways of love. It allows our true nature to shine and touch the lives of those around us.
 
How, exactly, do we live with such gratitude in our daily lives when the world around us is increasingly busy, rushed and challenging? At different times in our existence we all experience what I call "transformational drama."* These are the shake-ups that rock our world and demand that we heal, surrender and deepen our connection with God.  At any given moment, we can complain, whine or blame others for our misfortunes - or we can choose to be grateful for the opportunity to remember that we can never be separated from our Source, no matter what is going on in the world of form. Once we get it that the world of form is impermanent and that Spirit is permanent, we can shift our focus from the calamities of the material world to moving through the experience thankful for the gifts that are being presented to us.
 
In this season of Thanksgiving, it's a good time to reflect on what part gratitude plays in our lives. Can you find something to be grateful for on a typical day? Can you give thanks in the face of a storm, for example, if you are facing financial burdens, health issues or loss of someone you love? In my own life, I had an opportunity to do just that when a loved one was in the hospital facing the possibility of the end of this life. I spent days and nights by his side keeping constant vigil and surrounding him with positive affirmations, love and prayers. I shared with the nurse that every day I wanted one positive, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, but a positive nevertheless. The minutes would tick by turning to hours and days, and finally this compassionate nurse (an Earth angel I'm sure) would find some small progress and exclaim, "There's your positive. There's your positive for today!" She was as excited as I was, and I was grateful. I got it. In that moment, I got the true meaning of gratitude.
 
Gratitude Fosters Joy

Living in gratitude is one of the best ways to move forward on your spiritual path as it honors the Power and Presence within. Start by saying prayers of gratitude without asking for anything in return. Whenever you have an experience where an angel or Spirit assists you -- for example, you receive inner guidance, find lost keys, have a healing or receive abundance in any form - say thank you. Write thank you on the back of all your checks and feel the joy of giving thanks (as well as enJOYing increased abundance). Daily give thanks to God, the angels, the ascended masters. Send a thank you note to someone who has touched you with kindness. Certainly you will feel the light expand in your heart and soul and radiate out into your family, the community and the world. 
 
Gratitude always fosters joy and is always available. Practice gratitude not just as an exercise but as a powerful way to connect with the Divine Power. For me, well I plan on practicing gratitude not just on Thanksgiving but daily. As for the man in the convenience store -- he might not be in the hospital, but his attitude of gratitude is certainly contagious. 
 
* You can read more about "transformational drama" and "shake-ups that wake us" in Live Your Joy: How to Awaken from Spiritual Slumber, by Barbara Gulbranson. Available at www.liveyourjoy.org/books-barbara-gulbranson.htm.