“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.” -Johannes A. Gaertner
What does it mean to move from speaking gratitude to
enacting gratitude to living gratitude? When we speak gratitude, we are engaged
in the act of expressing our thanks or thankfulness to another. Speaking
gratitude is the simplest and most common form of everyday gratitude.
When you expressed thanks to your Barista this morning
for your grande, extra shot, non-fat, no whip, extra caramel, caramel brûlée latte, you were speaking gratitude. When I
ordered my simple grande Christmas blend, and said thank you as it was handed
to me through the window, I did the same.
Enacting gratitude is where we consciously decide to
do something that involves some form of gratitude action. A great example most
everyone understands and can relate to is the simple act of giving a gift. The
gift can be something as small as a thank you card, a more robust message in a
card or letter, buying a meal or a cup of coffee for a friend or stranger, or
an even bigger gift for a birthday or special occasion.
When
we begin to live gratitude, it shifts from being something we do sometimes or
on a special occasion, to becoming a way of life. We gradually learn to live
from gratitude, from the space of gratitude, and for gratitude. Gratitude as a
way of life is a reframing of both our outlook and our perception. We move from
taking life for granted to an inner awareness that suddenly expresses itself in
everything we see, everything we do, and everything we are.
Gratitude can even be viewed as a state of
consciousness. It involves opening your heart to the abundance of love and
splendor that surrounds us in our earthly world every day.
When I watched the sun rise above the horizon this
morning I was once again in awe of the splendor of the sun. This life-giving
orb is taken for granted by countless thousands of individuals every day and
for many years I was one of those individuals. I never really gave the sun much
thought. Once I did, my perception changed and that’s the power of gratitude.
Sunsets are an easier grasp for most people because
almost everyone has at one time or another experienced a cinematic sunset ablaze
with the hues of burnt orange or crimson red against the backdrop of wispy
cotton balls splashed across the sky.
The saying or phrase of “stop and smell the
roses” suddenly derives new meaning when we realize the world is full of
fragrance, and roses are just one simple yet beautiful element that
demonstrates this fact.
When we live gratitude, we discover people have a
fragrance as well…
It is the essence of their being, how they make us
feel when we’re around them, what they have us thinking about and considering,
the ideas and inspiration they openly share with those who are willing to
listen can be life-changing!
My friend Chris Palmore from www.GratitudeSpace.com is one of those people. He is just one of many. His most recent book, Dear Gratitude is full of stories reflecting the lives and experiences of people who have embraced gratitude as a way of life.
His
next endeavor is a bold one!
Dear 2020, his second Anthology, will give people an
opportunity to reflect on this most challenging year to see if they can find
the silver lining in what we are all painfully aware has been an incredibly difficult
time in our history.
His hope is that gratitude can serve as a powerful
elixir to ease some of that suffering by engaging in the cathartic practice of writing
about the 2020 experience.
Chris knows all too well the pain of loss and grief
and understands the difficulty of this experience. He also knows from his own
experience just how much gratitude helped him process his own grief, pain,
loss, and adversity. His only wish as a dedicated gratitude conductor is to
create a safe space for potential healing with the life-altering power of
gratitude.
The link below will give you an opportunity to express
yourself in a way that just might be the beginning of a life-changing process
for those not regularly accustomed to focusing on gratitude. Submissions are
being accepted thru January 10th, but my suggestion is to submit
your story or essay while you are inspired because if you say you’ll do it Someday,
it will most likely never happen…
One of the most talked about and probably
misunderstood ways of embracing gratitude as a way of life is some form of a
gratitude practice. Having a gratitude practice is a great way to develop a
gratitude lifestyle, but it’s also easy to get caught up in the practice and to
begin to see it as more of a check the box kind of activity rather than a true
lifestyle change.
Exercise is an activity that often gets a check the
box approach rather than embracing movement and resistance training as a part
of daily lifestyle. It’s a mindset shift. It’s the difference between asking
did I get my 30 minutes in and checking the box if the answer is yes to, did I find
a way to incorporate movement and activity into my life today?
I hope you can see the difference.
If you’re interested in embracing gratitude as a way
of life, there are several practical methods you can use to begin the
process. We can ask ourselves empowering questions and we can create
activities that raise our level of gratitude awareness.
Here are a handful of easy to implement suggestions.
Begin each day thinking of what we both are and can be grateful for!
List at least 3 things we are grateful for!
Imagine your life without some of the things we take for granted…
Use a gratitude journal to capture all that we are grateful for…
Use who, what, where and why to ask empowering questions of gratitude.
Examples:
Who inspired me today? Who provides small kind
opportunities for interactions that lift my spirits or brighten my mood? What
made me smile today? What touched me today? Where can I make a difference
today? When did I feel gratitude today?
As a bonus, and to go a little deeper, you can also ask
“how” questions.
Examples:
How can I experience more gratitude in my life? How
can I be thankful for the struggles and challenges I’m currently facing? How
fortunate am I?
There are hundreds of others… You get the idea, be
creative, let’s commit today to living lives of GRATITUDE!
Here’s an additional resource to help with your
gratitude questions as part of your daily gratitude practice. And remember, it’s
a practice. Gratitude isn’t done with perfection; it’s about making a conscious
commitment to think about ways of being grateful, expressing, and living
gratitude.
“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for our own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.” -Madame Marie Curie
What I really appreciate about this quote is its inclusivity. Every day, we have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. The difference we have an opportunity to make is a unique one. Not only is it unique to our own individual capabilities and strengths, it is also unique to those we either aid or serve. For if it were not for our efforts and our intentions to actually make a difference, our individual difference, the one that only we can make, then it might be lost forever…
Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person and the only woman to win the Nobel Prize twice.
She paid the ultimate price for her commitment to humanity and the development of early radioactive treatments for cancer and the creation of radiography units that provided early X-ray services to field hospitals during World War I.
She was instrumental in the development of technology to improve the lives of others. It was her focus on the improvement of her own life that allowed her to serve others.
And what about improving ourselves? How do we insure we are improving ourselves? It’s quite simple really, we set intentions. When we set an intention, we are setting in motion the magic of the universe and the magic of our minds. Our intentions become our ideas that we plan (or intend) to carry out. When we mean something, really mean it, then it becomes an intention. It becomes something we mean to do whether we are initially successful or not. It is the setting of an expectation for a specific result.
What it really represents more than anything else is “COMMITMENT.” Our intentions become our commitment to carrying out our actions… Our actions are the catalyst to the completion of our goals, desires, or stated intent. We can always make the most progress by getting involved in an activity or project we are most passionate about. When we choose to make a stand, we are simply saying this is what I believe, this is what I stand for, nothing can deter me!
This idea is stated with not just our words, but more importantly, our actions.
What we DO, speaks so loudly that no one questions any longer what we stand for. We become known not for our words, but our actions. A great question to ask of ourselves is, what do I stand for? A better question to ask is what do WE stand for?
When we honor our particular duty by providing aid to those we think we can be most useful to, then and only then are we answering our highest calling… What do you STAND FOR? What difference will you make today? What difference can we make, together? What difference are you “COMMITTED” to making in the world, not SOMEDAY, but today?
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman
How is it that every great dream
begins with a dreamer? The reason the process unfolds in this manner is simple.
We all dream. However, we do not all dream equally. Some dream of what might
be, while others dream and make plans for what will be.
What is the difference between might
and will?
The difference between might and will, is the difference between believing and not believing. What makes dreamers so remarkably different, is their ability to entertain the possibility that they might just somehow find a way, to bring their dream into reality if, if they but remain open to the possibility of the dream…
When we are gently reminded by
someone, by the words of a song or a story, the line of a poem, or the words of
an actor or actress, the encouragement of a friend, the inspiring words of a
leader, what we are reminded of in that moment, is not the power of what is
expressed, but the recognition that what is expressed, is what is within.
We already have within us,
everything we could ever possibly need, to do, be, or become, whatever we
desire. It is only when we acknowledge what is in us, that we begin to nurture
ourselves and give ourselves permission to grow, develop, and unfold, so that
we might then become, all that we once dreamed possible…
When we acknowledge and accept our
dreams as a preview of our own life’s coming attractions, it is in the moment
of acknowledgement, the dream becomes a potential reality. We literally can
begin to see ourselves as becoming the thing we only previously dreamed about.
What is it that makes something
real anyway? Is it the something, or our belief about it that makes it
real? Are our lives not full of limiting beliefs and false assumptions? Are new
technologies and new information not changing the very landscape of everything
we thought we once knew and understood? And where does all of this new
information and these new ideas come from anyway?
The information and ideas come from
those who would dare to dream with their eyes wide open and act upon their
dreams with purpose and intention. From those who would dare to believe as
Harriet Tubman did, that within us, lies all of the passion, all of the
patience, and all of the strength and courage we will ever need to do the
things we previously only ever dreamed of.
The dream can be as big or as small as we choose. Maybe your dream is to be the best teacher you can be, maybe it’s to be the best parent. Maybe it’s to the best representative in the company, maybe it’s to be a distinguished leader, maybe it’s as simple as becoming the very best YOU possible…
Whatever it is, acknowledge it… Whatever it is, embrace it. And whatever you do, do not go back to sleep!!
My call to action is a simple one. What is it you previously dreamed about as a possibility that you simply let go back to sleep, within you? Whatever it is, it’s still there. Let it awaken slowly within you as you reflect on the words of a great 13th Century poet…
“The morning breeze has secrets to tell you, do not go back to sleep.” -Rumi
What happens when we take a statement and turn it into a
question? As human beings, we are wired to solve challenges, create solutions,
and answer questions. The moment we pose a question to ourselves or others, our
subconscious mind goes to work on seeking a solution. This is a natural
occurrence and happens without us even really noticing the process has
initiated, unless…
Unless what? Unless we are consciously aware and consciously
ask ourselves a question so we can activate our solution seeking abilities.
When we take control of our thinking, which by the way is the only thing we can
ever really control anyway, we activate our ability to solve for whatever it is
that might be perplexing us.
As an example, let’s just stay on track with the theme of
this message. The title of this article reads: Is It Really Possible That
The Key To Happiness Is Gratitude? After having read this just now for a
second time, what are you thinking? Are you thinking about how you might be
able to use this simple little “Six Word Story” in your own life? Have you
asked yourself yet, what if this is true? What does this mean to you?
What if, what if you decided right now in this moment you
would at least embrace this idea as a possibility? The moment we let our guard
down and open our minds to a new possibility, something miraculous happens… Our
minds expand, never to return to their previous state, because a mind once
expanded will never return to its former level of understanding…
“The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to
its original dimensions.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Gratitude is the “KEY” that unlocks the “Fullness” of life.
As a matter of FACT, this is exactly what Gratitude does:
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we
have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order,
confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a
stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,
and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melody Beattie
“Gratitude is the KEY to Happiness” is a simple “Six Word
Story” I can easily wrap my mind around. How about You? Does it at least seem
possible these six words could hold the KEY to Happiness?
Much has been written on this subject… It appears, at least
on the surface anyway, that Gratitude & Happiness go hand in hand, the same
way two peas share the same pod, or the same way we think of shoes and socks,
or milk and cookies.
Gratitude gives rise to the very best of what lies inside
each of us. And, when we take the time and spend the effort and energy to
express our gratitude, it is this act that functions the same as a key placed
into a lock that opens with ease, because it not only fits, but is actually the
key specifically designed to go with the lock.
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a
present and not giving it.” -William Arthur Ward
Gratitude is more like a verb than a noun. Its inherent
value is experienced in the act of expression.
And yes, just like shoes and socks, or cookies and milk,
keys and locks go together, and the KEY to unlocking Happiness, is Gratitude!
If you enjoyed this article and would like a bigger slice or scoop of gratitude, I recommend: Dear Gratitude: An Anthology by my friend and fellow gratitude collaborator, Chris Palmore. The book is available on Amazon.
Making Sense of the Uncertainty of Service to Others
“He who endeavors to serve, to benefit, and improve the world, is like a swimmer, who struggles against a rapid current, in a river lashed into angry waves by the wind. Often, they roar over his head, often they beat him back and baffle him. Most men yield to the stress of the current. Only here and there the stout, strong heart and vigorous arms struggle on towards ultimate success.” -Albert Pike
If we are called to serve, I can almost assure you, we will struggle. We will be faced with very difficult choices, and we can only hope the guidance we follow will be from our highest self. The difficulty is often in deciding if the calling is of a true divine nature, or if it’s just us in our own minds.
This is where we must have faith. If we are putting our trust in something much bigger than we are, we may also be compelled to make decisions that are much bigger than we are. Once a decision is made, it is sometimes impossible to recover from that decision, or at least in the present moment, it feels impossible.
We don’t yet know what the future holds for us, but we can be sure whatever it is, it will be based on the decisions we make every day. Sometimes we are willing to follow our instincts, and in the moment, it may look like the choices we made were wrong. Not all choices are right or wrong. Life is not a dichotomy; life is messy and complicated. Sometimes the choices we make will haunt us the rest of our lives…
The truth of the matter is, we don’t ever really know whether we made the right or wrong choice, but we know we chose. The act of not choosing is also a choice… What we must reconcile, is whether or not we can live with and stand by the choices we make. If we can find a way to do that, then we are on our way to real acceptance…
Who even knows for sure, what success really looks like as it relates to service? Success can only ever be defined individually, but whether it be in service or in life, I can almost assure you, we will be called to be stout, strong hearted, and compelled to struggle mightily against the current of life.
“Our passions are the winds that propel our vessel. Our reason is the pilot that steers her. Without winds the vessel would not move and without a pilot she would be lost.” -Saying on Passion, by Unknown
In the days
of the great sailing ships, the wind was everything… Well, almost everything.
Wind was obviously necessary, it was critical for movement, without it there
was no progress, a ship was dead in the water without the wind. And as
important as the wind was, it was only one of the components required for a
great ship to be GREAT. Without sails, there was no way to capture the
potential energy that existed in the winds. Therefore, the wind was only
potential energy.
Once the
wind was captured by the sails, it then existed as an element to propel the
vessel. But without a way to direct the energy captured by the sails, the
energy only produced movement, and movement without purpose and direction would
carry the ship for sure, but to where? If a destination was ever to be reached,
then there had to be a way to steer or guide the vessel. On a ship, the element
for steering her is the rudder, for us, it’s our ability to think and reason.
Our ability to chart a course and reach a specific destination in life is a
gift. It is the gift of reason!
Our passion
propels us. Our reason guides us. Without our passion, we only have access to
some of the potential energy that exists for propulsion. Without a GREAT sail,
our MINDSET, we only capture a small amount of the POTENTIAL that exists for
each of us. And without the ability to think and reason, none of this would
really matter because we would be like a great ship adrift on the ocean of
life. Our reason is our rudder and our rudder is our reason.
Chart your
course for success today! Put up your sails and capture all of the energy
available with your ATTITUDE. Guide your vessel to its desired destination with
skill and precision using your gift of reason. Be the best pilot, the best
captain, the best leader, the best salesperson, the best marketer, the best
teacher, the best writer, the best parent, the best poet, the best teammate, the
best photographer, the best friend, be the BEST of the best!
