Saturday, 22 August 2009
I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~G.K. Chesterton
In Al Anon, practicing gratitude is a spiritual practice used to turn situations around that we perceive are bringing us down. This can include people, things, events - you name it.
This spiritual antidote brings us back to the present moment- even if we have to "act as if" at first to find gratitude in our hearts.
Let's all commit to practice gratitude for the day and witness ourselves going back to old patterns of judgement about persons, places or things. We may be only able to tolerate one hour of this practice at first.
And like Vipassana meditation, the goal is not perfection, but simply to continue to bring ourselves back - in Vipassana it is bringing ourselves back to our breath, in the spiritual practice of gratitude it is bringing ourselves back to our breath and refocusing our thoughts on gratitude.
We actually help to create the negativity around us with our continual negative thoughts. Magic happens when we practice gratitude. Many of us have the experience of watching things that were bothering us turn around simply by practicing gratitude. When we practice gratitude we give space for something new to happen.
Will you join me today in this venture? Keep me/us posted!