Gratitude

Creator, thank you for your kindness in all that is created for our benefit, for those things that we can plainly see, for those unseen, for those that bring beauty and joy, and for those which appear destructive. Gratitude is ours.

Gratitude is a personal work. It is a realization or feeling that can be cultivated with practice. The reason I explore gratitude in my first blog is because it is a stepping off point for many other realizations. To realize gratitude you must first realize that you are a receptor, or a receiver. One way to cultivate this within your self is to create a gratitude list.

Example:
I am grateful because
My heart is beating
I can breathe on my own
I can hear
I can see
I can walk
I can talk
I can write
I have water
I have food
I have a safe place to sleep
Etc.

It is best to get as detailed with this list as possible, and state the obvious. There will be a time when there is a loss of the obvious on your list. In these times, the more that is on your list the better. Gratitude is the first step I take in attempting to elevate myself above, or recognize, my own self-pity, self-seeking, sadness, guilt, self-destruction, or heart-break, to allow even my shortcomings to become a source of gratitude.

For the average human being this should be a long list. The many systems within our body that simply keep us living are a long list by itself if you think about it. If you are reading this there are many things you can choose to be grateful for.

Write this list on something and keep it. From time to time read this list. The list will be a reminder of the obvious. The list will be a tool to realize what can currently be added. Gratitude is truly a choice, and can be strengthened with practice.