I'm so grateful, excited and humbled to have experienced the power of gratitude that I might as well name my kid Gratitude. Gratitude is part of this beautiful family of states that blow open your chakras to how fun and exhilarating life can be. Just like love, kindness, joy, peace, abundance and appreciation, gratitude puts you in touch with pure life force.
Once you're riding the divine wave, once you've tasted the noble nectar of feeling good, you'll want to keep exploring the luscious trails along the ocean of ease. The moment gratitude boldly entered my life and changed my perspective wasn't so much a moment but a handful of years. Gradually, about midway through college, I began to shift from thoughts of lack to an abundance mindset. I couldn't point you to one specific event that initiated this change in consciousness; it feels more like I followed my intuition to return to what I love naturally. When you're swimming with the mainstream, though, it's easy to tune into a culture of competition, consumerism, envy and self-depreciation rather than create sub-cultures of wellness (thanks, Dr. Martinez) that support your flourishing. If a gratitude practice isn't part of your general curriculum, be it at school, work, home, or social gatherings, see what you can do for yourself to break that cycle. Appreciate. Enjoy. Honor. Connect. Admire. Revel. Bask. Delight. Pray. Listen. Tune in. Give thanks. Embody the pioneer archetype. Introduce a new tradition. Dare to be the renegade one who chooses a fresh perspective.
Gratitude has opened me up to the beauty of life. Big time! Being able to see the sun rise, hear kids play, taste summer's first basil, smell the salty ocean air, touch someone's heart -- those are simple, profound pleasures ushering in more of what lets you thrive. Just becoming aware of the beauty, however small or subtle, shifts everything. And it feels good to be grateful for those experiences! Tell me, what five things have been awesome today? Call to mind the joys you've crossed paths with today. Focus on the colors, tastes, the sights and sounds, and temperatures and movements of those sweet moments.
It feels good to feel good. And it feels good to feel god. And for me, every step along the way is an invitation to give and receive beauty/love/joy/peace/abundance... Being grateful for the folks you get to meet (two-legged, four-legged, feathered, or otherwise), the things you get to experience, and states you get to embody is worth stepping out there to say 'hi' to life. It's why I created ColorsofGratitude.com. Our paths are strewn with nuggets and petals and dappled by the play of light between the trees. Get going and let every step be a move of love. Gratitude's abundance beaming from the heart. #FlyHighRootDeep