Whatever our personal circumstances, there is a way to experience life more fully. Whatever we conclude about external events that buffet us each day, there is a simple step we can take to stay positive. Make time to be grateful.
Gratitude is a key attitude. When we stop long enough to pay attention, we find there are many “little” things in our lives that, while appearing small, add up to a lot. In our busy-ness or self-absorption, we tend to overlook them.
In The Book of Joy, which distills five days of conversations between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the two religious leaders describe gratitude as one of the pillars of joy.
A key point in the discussion for me was that making time for gratitude can alter our point of view.
[Gratitude] allows us to shift our perspective…toward all we have been given and all that we have. It moves us away from the narrow-minded focus on fault and lack and to the wider perspective of benefit and abundance. (p. 242)
The ability to shift our outlook from scarcity or blame to the expectation of benefit is a huge fulcrum for leveraging all that is positive in our lives.
What are some ways we can do this? A favorite line from Kahlil Gibran comes to mind: “In the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”
- Pause before eating to thank all those responsible for providing our food.
- Celebrate the gift of a friendship by a word, hug or email.
- Acknowledge the tasks that tap and convey our passions and talents.
What is one of your blessings and how can you express your gratitude for it today?
sacredlead 
Thanks, Bob, as always. The gift of gratitude for me is that it always brings me into the present moment—again and again.
So important for each of us to remember…the jewels that are in the moment, whenever we attend to them.
love having this come to my inbox!
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It wouldn’t without your invitation! Happy to be connected in this way among others.