It can be difficult to access the feeling of gratitude when your life is full of challenges and difficulties. These moments can feel more like an obstacle course, than an adventure.
When you're surrounded by your troubles, it can be tempting to allow yourself to be sucked into a spiral of woe is me. That's sure to do one thing: make you feel even more entitled to your sadness and cut you off from your innate power and resourcefulness.
In times of turbulence you have two choices: (1) you can allow these occurrences to define and destroy you, or (2) you can see your way to the ever-present delight that abounds.
I'm not saying this is easy, but it is worth every ounce of your focus. Gratitude can be just the thing to flip your switch and open your flow to possibilities.
Let's do a little experiment. . .
1. Name your burdens. Take a moment right now to summon up all your burdens. Tally up everything that's wrong in your world. Go ahead just round them up like wild horses and watch the stampede that occurs. Notice how you feel and how it serves as a vortex, pulling in all the not enough-ness from your entire life. If you continue that focus it will bring you to the brink of despair. Ok, enough of that.
2. Bring your attention to your breath. Take 3 deep cleansing breaths and allow your attention to focus on the in-flow and out-flow of your breath. There's nowhere to go and nothing to do. You're riding on the river of Life, floating easily and gently on the stream of spaciousness. (This alone might be enough to free your flow.)
3. Invoke your blessings. Take a moment totally what's right in your world. Go ahead and invoke ALL the blessings that abound. Notice how these too form a vortex of goodness that pulls in an ever-increasing high vibe. Allow yourself to soak and saturate in this goodness. Notice how your heart opens and your energy expands.
This little experiment demonstrates that you have the power to shift your perspective. When you focus on what's right you generate a positive and powerful flow and come to understand that the things that seemed to trouble you are manageable and not so insurmountable after all. Gratitude gifts you the blessings of acknowledgment and abundance. You ARE rich in goodness and even your burdens generate flow. Bless your burdens, they give rise to trust, grace, and what's true.
Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash
