Think on These Things

By The Happy Chance

I used to be a news junkie.  I loved watching all the news channels and keeping up on the drama going on in the world.  But I found that focusing in on all of that negative energy attracted negative feelings and depression into my life.  So I gave up watching news a few years ago.  And I haven’t looked back since.

Now I love hearing good news.  Even when negative issues appear, I try to seek out the good that may be hiding in the “bad.”  The following Bible passage comes to mind:     

…keep your minds thinking about whatever is true, whatever is respected, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever can be loved, and whatever is well thought of. If there is anything good and worth giving thanks for, think about these things—Philippians 4:8  (New Life Version)

When it comes to family life, sometimes the only news I get about different family members are negative.  But I was so happy when my mom mentioned some good news about her sister, news worth being grateful for.  My aunt, who in the past had issues working out what she wanted with her career, had been honored with being Employee of the Month at Wal-mart.  This news told me that she was finding some joy in the work that she’s doing, and she’s receiving recognition for it.  Two wonderful points to be grateful about.

What are some of the smaller accomplishments that you can be grateful about, going on in your life?  What are some of the simple joys that brighten your day.  Remember, keep your mind focused on the virtues and things worthy of being praised.  Keep your mind focused on Gratitude.  

Every Moment is a Gift

By The Happy Chance

 

Every moment is a gift—and the recognition of this is Gratitude.  My journey with Gratitude started on March 6, 2012 when I began doing the 28-day Gratitude exercises from The Magic by Rhonda Byrne.  Little did I understand then how much Gratitude would transform my life.  At the time, I was adjusting to life challenges that had me emotionally drained, was trying to remove myself from a living situation rut, and needed a breakthrough with my then current job.  Gratitude transformed all of those issues—with lightening speed.  The concept of appreciation, which I had always thought was just something our culture taught as a means for being polite, was actually a Law of Nature.  If you want to live the wonderful life that you were meant to live, you need to live in Gratitude.  As I learned from The Power and The Magic by Rhonda Byrne, it’s not just a concept of politeness but a loving and powerful energy.  Soon after I began living in Gratitude, I not only understood this concept intellectually, but I was experiencing it day-to-day.  When you give Gratitude, you receive so much more to be grateful about. 

The ancient great works from around the world embraced this concept: it is up to us, if we wish to experience fantastic lives, to live it.  I cannot begin to tell how much Gratitude has changed my life.  Gratitude has become a close and trusted confidant, a provider and most intimate friend.  Whether you believe in God, the Universe, your Maker, Inner Self, or however you call the force that’s greater than yourself, when you open yourself up to Gratitude, you are embarking into a personal relationship with the Divine. 

This blog is inspired by The Power and The Magic by Rhonda Byrne, the author of The Secret.  I am so grateful for both books, and how they opened my eyes to the beautiful and life-changing energy of Gratitude.  I can know sing from experience, Amazing Grace, I once was blind but now I see.  I am still learning about Gratitude and ever growing closer to the Divine as each day of living in Gratitude passes.  This blog chronicles my ever expanding knowledge of Gratitude, both from research and personal experiences.  It discusses the love, joy and delight of living in Gratitude.

Gratitude—My Intimate Friend

By The Happy Chance

This month commemorates my 1-year anniversary of living in Gratitude.  Whatever does that mean?  It means making a commitment to viewing life through the eyes of appreciation, from the small simple things to the larger things, to seeking out the good in trouble areas of your life.

Alex Haley, the author of Roots once said, “Find the good and praise it.”  That in itself is Gratitude.  Gratitude honors the good in life and draws out the joy that would otherwise get lost in the details of day-to-day living.  The New Living Translation Bible states:

              But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.

If you keep to my path,

I will reveal to you the salvation of God (Psalm 50:23).

And truly, living in Gratitude is a path to joy, to inner peace.  I was so fortunate to come across The Magic during a time in my life when I needed something greater than myself to help me through various issues.  From The Magic, a book that teaches about Gratitude, I learned that Gratitude was more than the empty thank yous that I uttered out of politeness.  The Magic provides a 28-day exercise that instructs you on true Gratitude living.  And when going through the 28-days of Gratitude exercises, it really transformed my life.  Before reading The Magic, I was living a great life, but I was focusing so much on the nonsense that I couldn’t see it.  And after practicing The Magic, life got so much even better.

Gratitude is so much more than the polite thank yous.  After the 28-day Gratitude journey, I continued on with my Gratitude walk because I learned that living in Gratitude is a life-long journey.  Every moment that I live in Gratitude, I grow a stronger and more intimate relationship with Gratitude and love and all that is beautiful and endearing in my life and world.  Gratitude is my loving and intimate friend.  And I so welcome her into my life.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!