The Path of Gratitude

Hello Dear Ones!

It is becoming spring here.  The songbirds are singing, daffodils are starting to push up, and there is an energetic buzz everywhere.   The world is waking up after its wintertime slumber, and it is so exciting.

 I want to share a practice with you.  I have shared this with a few of you individually, and I also discussed this during my masterclass last month.  I have honed a gratitude practice that is now worth talking about.  So here we go!

First off, you might be ready to stop reading.  I get it. I was that woman not too long ago. I was someone in great doubt about this whole “gratitude” craze.  I just didn’t get it, and it felt like dogma.  Let me tell you, when I see dogma on the horizon, I am quick to start running the other direction! So imagine how delighted I have been to realize that a gratitude practice, while perhaps “all the rage” right now, is steeped in very deep meaning. It has a profoundly beautiful impact on me.

To start off, I offer to you this little video that I stumbled upon.  A Grateful Day, with Brother David Steindl-Rast.  It is simply gorgeous.  Put your phone down.  Try to watch on a computer screen (something bigger than a phone), sit back, and just take it in.  This video will put you in the state of delicious gratitude… if you give it your full attention for five minutes.  Feel free to watch now, then come back.

So if you watched it, how are you feeling now?  Might it be that the struggles of your day have softened, now that you have experienced gratitude? 

 See here is the thing:  looking around, noticing all that is wonderful in your life…. it changes your perspective and lens.  Look:  you have running water, heat, a roof over your head, food, safety, a bed to sleep in…If we can be in gratitude, we can notice that actually, everything is ok.  Just right now, in this present moment, we have what we need.

 Here’s another thing:  There are two basic states in this human life experience:  Love and Fear.  There’s lots in this life to encourage us to live from a place of fear. War, illnesses, work deadlines, worries…. Even multi-tasking easily plops us right back into fear.  But when we tap into gratitude, we shift back into living from a state of love.  When we are in Fear, life is hard, upsetting, everything feels impossible, we are in “survival mode”.  When we are in Love, everything is possible, and we feel expanded, softer, open and giving.

 Which would you prefer? 

 So the gratitude practice that I mentioned at the beginning.  Let’s get to that.  Being the skittish, dogma-averse person that I can be, this one didn’t come easily.  It has taken years to get this right.  And, admittedly, it is a fluid practice.  Meaning, if I am not feeling it, I don’t do it.  If I want to do part of it, or add something else it, I do that.  I seem to come home, though, to a certain structure. It is the foundation of my practice, and so it now feels worth sharing.  Here we go:

Most mornings, after dropping my child off at school and going for a walk, I settle down in whatever sunlit place I can find in my home, a cup of steaming tea in my hands, and perhaps inspiring music on my phone.  I try to turn off alerts and notifications on my phone, but sometimes I forget.  Sometimes I need music, sometimes I need silence. Sometimes I need sunshine but it’s foggy. I make do with what is available.  I thought I needed a perfect notebook or journal, a perfect pen. That bogged me down and delayed my progress for years, let me tell you.  Now I have a cheap spiral-bound notebook that I bought at our local food coop.  Nothing fancy, so that I don’t make any of it precious. This is key.   Here’s the irony:  with the nothing fancy notebook, and laid-back “let’s not be too precious about this” attitude, astounding things are happening. So here is what I do:

My Process:

1.     I write Thank You For: and below it I list at least five things that have happened or are happening for which I am grateful. As I write each one, I put my hand on my heart and sit in the feeling of gratitude.

2.     Next, I write Thank You For: (again, I know) and below it I write at least five things that I would love to have happen, or that would I love to receive.  These are things that I have not yet experienced as reality, but I am building faith that they will come/happen/occur. And again, as I write each one, I put my hand on my heart and sit in the feeling of gratitude. I write these same things most days, so that they have my focus.

3.     I write down a little statement about myself.  This is a strong goal that I would love to achieve, or a vision for my life, and is my biggest focus.  I write this same thing daily, and sometimes revise the language as needed.

4.     This last part is inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Letters from Love” on Substack.  I write a letter to the Divine. God. Life Source. Universe.  Use whatever belief and name that resonates with you.  I write:  “Dear Divine, what would you have me know today?”  And then I wait.  Pen in hand.  And words start coming.  Here’s the tricky bit:  I often hear my own voice telling me the words… and… being the powerful, strong-willed woman that I am, I have to relax and let the words flow (rather than questioning the process, editing grammar, etc…. I can have a field day with those if I am not paying attention to what really matters here). So in essence, I wait for a response, and then I write it.  It always sounds like me, but is subtly not exactly me.  This is the faith part. You decide what you believe, and own it.  Follow your own spiritual/religious path here.   This is all flexible, and should match what feels right for you (not what feels right to me, of course!) And. Sometimes, instead of asking” What would you have me know”, I ask a specific question and wait for the answer. 

 Ok so here’s the fun outcome:  Not only do I live from a place of gratitude more often than ever before, not only do I feel more connected to the love that lives and flows through me as a human being, I also feel WAY more connected to life, to trees and birds and wind and sunshine. I feel more connected to people, to our community. And I feel way more connected to God, to myself, and to what fills me up in this life of mine. And. I have also noticed the magic that is happening. Those little thank yous are starting to come true.  Those little and big desires are actually showing up.  It is astonishing.  Does this sound a teensy bit like manifestation?  Yes! 

So, see if any part of this resonates or feels useful in your life.  The timing of writing doesn’t matter- do it whenever works in your schedule.  People often prefer mornings or before bed, but really any time is fine. And make it do-able.  Try one part for a few months or years, then see where it takes you!

In deep gratitude for everything in this sweet life,

Rebecca

* Disclaimer: This likely goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway: Everything I write is for educational purposes only. Nothing I write or share can be deemed diagnostic or medical advice. Nothing I write or share can replace your own healthcare providers or your own internal knowing and wisdom. Period. Please seek tailored medical care and advice via your skilled healthcare team whenever you need it.