Gratitude

Every November I focus on the theme “Gratitude” in my yoga classes.  Gratitude, like yoga, is a practice.  It’s training yourself to view the world in a certain way.  Viewing the world through eyes of gratitude can change your life.  Instead of yearning for the latest style of shoes, you realize just how blessed you are to have shoes at all. Many of you reading this (including myself) may even become a bit embarrassed as you realize how much excess you have.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s ok to have “things”, but looking at your life through eyes of gratitude can put you at ease.  You have enough. Maybe you even have more than enough.  Perhaps you choose to share with those who don’t have as much.

One of my favorite quotes is from Tony Robbins:

“Trade your expectations for appreciation and your whole world changes in an instant”.

Boom.  Life changing.  Think about it.  Imagine a situation where you were disappointed.  Your expectations were not met.  If you trade that expectation for appreciation, you suddenly feel so blessed and no longer focus on the feeling of disappointment.  Ahhhh.  Sweet freedom.

As we move closer to Thanksgiving, I encourage you to view the world through eyes of gratitude.  Many people find that keeping a gratitude journal provides a wonderful way to be aware of blessings.  I simply write down 3 things that I’m grateful for any time I pass by my journal.  Others choose to journal as a daily practice perhaps before going to sleep at night.

If you find it difficult to think of things that you are grateful for, remember this quote from Oprah Winfrey:

“Whenever you can’t think of something to be grateful for, remember your breath. With each breath you take, you can say, ‘I’m still here'”.

How do you practice gratitude?