Feeling grateful, that strong emotional response, is what alters moods and uplifts lives. For me, when I am truly feeling grateful it makes me feel like my heart is expanding. It makes me feel like I'm floating. And sometimes it even makes me feel like I may cry at the beauty of the blessings around me.
While I fully recommend finding new things to be grateful for each day, it is more important to truly FEEL the gratitude you are expressing. I can say I am grateful for this Tervis (cup) that comes with a straw to make it easier to drink and get my water intake throughout the day. Yet unless I truly feel that, unless that gratitude actually moves me, it will not bring about the larger change in your life. Now, if I can sit here and think about how far the invention of the cup has come from an animal hide to a tin cup to now a fully insulated, lidded container and that strikes a cord deep inside me of true feelings of gratitude, then great! But if, even after intellectualizing this I only feel that, "that's pretty cool and I should be grateful..." Sorry, it doesn't work that way.
Emotion is the key to uplifting through gratitude. So today I invite you to let go of the idea of what you "should" be grateful for. I even invite you to let go of the rigid lines of not repeating and instead focus on what you truly feel. Take a deep breath. Now, what are you grateful for?
I am grateful for the look in my husband's eyes this morning when he saw me wearing the same lace headband from our wedding. I'm grateful for the passion I feel when we kiss and the ones that still give me butterflies in my stomach. I'm grateful for all he does each day to support my dreams as I continue to grow my business.
I'm grateful for the love I share with my dogs. I'm grateful that they let me know when they are needing extra attention and even more grateful when I am able to take the time to give it to them. I'm grateful for the ways they make me laugh.
And as I write these I am moved. I feel the gratitude welling up in me and I feel great! And the more I feel this way the more things I realize I'm grateful for and the more I'm uplifted. This is how I start my day. This is how I can say, today will be a great day!
What are you grateful for? How does it feel? Take just a few moments to block out any of the stress and to do lists from your mind and just give in to feeling gratitude.
May today bless you with floating in gratitude. May you find strength, love, and courage in the blessings you already have today. Have a beautiful day!
For more information of Gratitude and Empowerment Coaching Services please visit www.ReyofGratitude.com or email me at ReyofGratitude@gmail.com. Thank you!