Much has been written about the power of gratitude and yet it is so misunderstood. Giving thanks is not just about making a long list of things you would not wish to be without. It is about truly appreciating all the blessings in your life including what you may consider as not so great.
How many of you give thanks when you lose a job or when something doesn’t turn out as you had planned or expected. When these situations arise, many of you go into despair wondering what you did wrong or you worry about how you are going to handle it all.
No matter what happens in your life, it is all in Divine Order.
There is never a need for you to beat yourself up or tell yourself, “If only I did this or that, things would have turned out differently.” You are on a journey of remembering who you are and EVERYTHING you experience in your life is an opportunity to remember more and more.
When things are not working out the way you had hoped or if a situation happens that you would call unfortunate or sad or unpleasant, we invite you to give thanks for ALL of it, trusting that it is serving a purpose in bringing you closer and closer to your truth.
Rather than say, “Why me?” or “Why is this happening to me” with a feeling of despair, give thanks and then ask from your heart and soul, “Show me what this situation is here to teach me. How can this situation lead me closer to my heart’s desires and to my True Self?”
You can only give thanks for what may at first appear to be unfortunate circumstances when you KNOW and TRUST deep within your heart and soul that things are not how they appear and no matter what happens in your life, it can all lead you to more peace, joy, love and abundance but only if you are willing to see the Truth and focus on giving thanks and looking for the good in everything.
Marisa’s Musings
I’ve certainly done my share of beating myself up when things in my life didn’t go as I had planned or hoped for. I’ve often made myself wrong in these situations because I really believed things would have turned out differently if I had done things differently. Even though this may be true, I now understand that it doesn’t mean I did anything wrong.
The truth is that I always did the best that I could with the knowledge and tools that I had at the time and telling myself that I “should” or “shouldn’t” have done this or that only made me spiral into deeper and deeper feelings of despair.
As much as I still find it challenging at times to give thanks for things that show up in my life that are not what I really want, I’m getting better and better at looking for the blessing in ALL things and giving thanks with a deeper knowing that everything can be transformed into something good.
With all the bad press out there bombarding us with news, images and videos about all the horrible things people are doing to one another around the world, let’s remember that there are people everywhere who, in the past and in the present, reach out to others in need and spread love, not hate or fear.
The problem is, we don’t often hear about the good news, only the bad. When we get caught up in the negative stories shared through multi-media channels, it often has a negative effect on us. We might find ourselves judging others who are being portrayed as the protagonists or we might feel depressed or fearful about how the events in the world might cause us, or those we love, to suffer in some way.
You’ve probably heard the expression, “What You Focus On Expands.” If you believe this to be true, I invite you to be mindful of how you feel when you watch or read the news. If you notice yourself feeling anxious, angry or judgmental towards others, remind yourself that if you choose to focus on these negative thoughts and feelings, you’ll attract more negativity into your life and your relationships.
Fortunately, we get to choose what to focus on. This doesn’t mean we’ll never feel any negative emotions or have negative thoughts. Nor does it mean we should suppress these thoughts or feelings. What it means is that as soon as we become aware of what we’re focusing on, we can make a conscious choice to simply observe our thoughts and feelings rather than grabbing a hold of them and spiraling downwards. We can also choose to turn our attention to something more positive and uplifting.
If you think there’s nothing positive going on around you, think of a few things you are truly grateful for. Gratitude has a way of lifting our Spirits and making us feel better.
When we feel good on the inside, we pass this positive energy onto those around us, causing a ripple effect.
