Gratitude is Love, it is energy, it is joy. Gratitude is grace, it is the voice of Divine.
A simple thank you is an acknowledgement and recognition of life’s blessings, no matter how big or small they may seem. The high vibrational frequency of gratitude enables us to step out of fear, out of the not good enough story, allowing us to see the truth of who we are.
Gratitude is powerful medicine. It is an affirmation that goodness and kindness do exist in our world despite all the negative soothsayers.
Many years ago I read a book about gratitude and how it could change your life. I was looking for help, some kind of change, something to take away the pain. So I followed the author’s recommendation and purchased the accompanying gratitude journal. I was truly desperate for help and vowed to write about my gratitude every day. However, my words were flat, unemotional and meaningless. I tossed the journal.
Today my journey seems to have come full circle. I have learned that to release myself from this pain I had to first accept the pain, and to really dig into it and explore what was really going on. I needed to sit down with those gnarly ol’ demons, look them in the eyes and ask why? Not so easy for someone who was hell-bent on blaming others rather than taking responsibility for her life.
When we bury ourselves in self-pity and buy into an arbitrary victim identity, we embark on an endless cycle of suffering. Our energy is low and joy is rarely ever invited in for tea. In this dark space we do not or will not see the light.
I was totally identified with my suffering, it was who I thought I was. I did not trust that I had the power to change my life.
So what to do?
I read books, attended lectures and sat with some remarkable teachers. What they said made sense, a lot of sense. But still there was that gap between what they said and what I felt.
Many, many tiny baby steps later, I began to actually feel grateful. I wasn’t just saying words such as thank you, my heart was completely engaged, I understood just how grateful I truly was for the teaching and the opportunity to embrace a life of emotional freedom.
First it was gratitude for my teachers and my dear friends and family who stuck by and supported me. As I worked through the layers of trauma, I began to understand and accept that I was a child of the Divine. My gratitude grew. This realization was the key to turning my life around. At long last, my life is so very much better.
Gratitude opens the door to the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude.
Deepak Chopra
Doing that gratitude journal didn’t work because I was coming from a need to be fixed. I was coming from fear, not love. Energetically, emotionally I was asking for more of the same – suffering.
Gratitude has become a powerful tool to use when fear or other uncomfortable and sometimes overwhelming emotions arise. It is the tool I use most to bring me back to peace, to Presence. When I return to this place of deep rest and acknowledgement, I find more tenderness and feel more alive. I spend little or no time in reactivity. I wake excited to meet my day and fall asleep satisfied with what I have accomplished.
Yes, gratitude is very powerful medicine.
A Simple Gratitude Journaling Practice
Part of my morning and evening meditation ritual is acknowledging the things and people I am grateful for and why.
- Start with a few rounds of intentional breath work – a simple, uncomplicated practice is to inhale, hold and exhale. https://www.leebyrdmystic.com/breath-work-beginner-embodiment-exercise/
- Body Awareness Meditation is the easiest, most direct way to bring us back to the present moment. Presence is where our power lies. It is the only space where real change can happen. https://www.leebyrdmystic.com/about/meditation/body-awareness-meditation-practice-noticing-sensations/
- Journal – list three (or more) things you are truly thankful for and why. Keep your awareness on body sensations. Ask:
- What is really going on (what am I believing about myself or others)?
- Is it true?
I am available for private one-on-one sessions via phone or zoom. Find more information here: https://www.leebyrdmystic.com/about/private-sessions/
I am here to hold sacred space, to lend a hand and walk this path with you 💜
My service to you is to create a safe environment where, together, we meet these unresolved issues and begin to disarm them. If you have a desire, a willingness to release yourself from the chains of your past, this is a place to start.