Skip to main content

Grateful Realizations

I subscribe to the Mindfulness Magazine and one thing I'm noticing is that serious meditators all advocate keeping a gratitude journal. I have always expressed my gratitude in my thoughts and prayers, but I've never been consistent about writing them down. I imagine keeping a daily gratitude journal would be an interesting experiment. I'm going to keep a daily record for one week--starting today--Sunday to Sunday.  I'll write my daily post about what I'm grateful for and see what comes of the practice.

Today, I'm grateful for my physical health. I have such vigor for life. I love getting outside, walking, running, playing sports, breathing the fresh air, and taking in the beautiful sights. One of my greatest fears has always been becoming paralyzed for I felt I wouldn't be able to "be active" any longer. And while I wouldn't be able to play basketball, run, do yoga or any of those activities in the way that I'm used to doing them, I would still be able to go outside, take in the beauty, breathe the fresh air, and find new ways to enjoy the activities I used to do, or heck, I'd find new activities to enjoy.

What inspiring thoughts! I'd still be able to read and learn--activities I relish! I could still love and serve others. I could still be kind, helpful, loving, thoughtful, gracious, compassionate, etc.
Essentially, I'd still be me. I am, and I am not, just my body--I am so much more!

I'm so grateful for these realizations. So far, I'd say that my daily gratitude journaling experiment has been a stellar success. It has helped me surmount one of my greatest fears. Obviously, I don't want to become paralyzed, but if I do, it won't be the end of the world. It will be a challenging and enlightening new experience.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Holy Treason

I don’t know if you’re like me or not, but I was born into the one and only “true” religion of God. I spent my entire life studying and living the principles and teachings of my faith. I knew the doctrine, and I believed it to be true. Until I didn’t. The road to the unraveling of my faith is a rather long one—definitely another article for another day--but suffice it to say, I began studying other religions and realized that all of them contained beautiful truths. I felt as uplifted and inspired while reading their scriptures as I did reading mine. I understood why some referred to religion as a “faith culture” for I was now aware that had I been born and raised in a different religion, I’d have believed that religious tradition to be true. I came to see religions as merely vehicles leading us back to God. Surely God didn’t care whether his children drove jalopies or Jaguars so long as they were moving along the superhighway back to Him. Or could it be her? Or perhaps there wasn’t ju...
2 comments
Read more

Relationships

I've been thinking a bit about relationships. I'm seeing them differently than I've ever seen them before. First, I realize that relationships are created in our minds. What we think about our relationships defines them. If I think my daughter is ungrateful, I will see ingratitude in all her actions. If I tell myself my coworker is annoying, I will find him extremely so.  And so it goes. What we think about others creates how we relate to them. So why not think happy, positive, loving thoughts about the people we relate with? We absolutely have the power to create amazing relationships by changing the way we think about our relations. Second, I've been thinking about the importance of loving the people in our life for who they are, not for what we need them to be. People need freedom to be who they want to be. If you love someone, you don't try to change them. That isn't love. Love is accepting someone for who they are and where they are right now. Love know...
Post a Comment
Read more

His Light Lives On

Page told me during breakfast this morning that President Thomas S. Monson passed away last night. The realization that a great soul had left this mortal life washed over me. I wanted to pay tribute to him today so I decided I would take his framed picture with me to work and set it aside a lighted candle. It would be my way to acknowledge the illuminating affect he has had in my life and the life of so many others, as well as signify that his light lives on. Here's how it looked:   I moved him throughout the day so that I could always see him. I also spent some time reading some of his most beloved quotes. I felt his presence and my love for his great soul increased. Some of the quotes I shared with others throughout the day include: Decisions determine destiny Your future is as bright as your faith   Search inward. Reach outward. Look heavenward Never postpone a prompting We can't direct the wind but we can adjust the sails It's always b...
Post a Comment
Read more