Shifting into Gratitude

The Question of Worthiness

We all know what it’s like to finally get something we want, only to find ourselves feeling as if we don’t deserve it. Whether it’s a car, a new job, or a date with someone wonderful, we suddenly feel as if we are not up to it. Something in us wants to reject this gift from the universe, perhaps because it requires that we think of ourselves in a new way or makes us question why we should have something that others don’t have. If these feelings of unworthiness are not consciously acknowledged, they can lead us to sabotage ourselves out of the gift being offered. Perhaps the best way to avoid rejection and sabotage is to simply shift into a state of gratitude, bypassing the question of worthiness altogether.

The question of whether we or anyone else deserves something is not really in our jurisdiction. These themes play themselves out in ways we can’t fully comprehend-on the level of the soul, over the course of many lifetimes. What we do know is that the universe has its own way of shifting the balance over the course of time so that all things are ultimately fair. We can trust in this process and understand that when a gift comes our way, it is because we are meant to have it. Otherwise, it would not be available to us. Accepting the gift with gratitude and using it to the best of our ability is true humility.

When we receive a gift and find that feelings of unworthiness crop up, we can simply acknowledge the feelings and then remind ourselves that they are beside the point. We might say to ourselves, “I am meant to have this.” As we allow ourselves to accept the gift, we might feel tenderness in our hearts that naturally shifts into a deep feeling of gratitude. As we sit for a moment, consciously holding the gift in our hands or in our hearts, we say “yes” to the universe’s many blessings, and we also say “thank you.”

Big Hugs and Love!

If ever there was a video to show the power of gratitude, this video is it. You think this lion is all eating the lady’s face. Well, that is not the case. The lion was rescued by this person a couple years before, and this lion is soooo happy to see her. This will bring a smile to your day.

Originally found in Russian at Любвеобильный лев.

Give Thanks Every Day

by Napoleon Hill

Many successful men and women claim they are “self-made.” But the fact is that no one reaches the pinnacle without help. Once you have set your definite major goal for success—and taken your first steps to achieve it—you find yourself receiving help from many unexpected quarters. You must be prepared to give thanks for both the human and Divine help you receive.

Gratitude is a beautiful word. It is beautiful because it describes a state of mind that is deeply spiritual in nature. It enhances one’s personality with magnetic charm, and it is the master key that opens the door to the magic powers and the beauty of Infinite Intelligence. Gratitude, like other traits of the pleasing personality, is simply a matter of habit. But it’s also a state of mind. Unless you sincerely feel the gratitude you express, your words will be hollow and empty—and sound as phony as the sentiment you offer.

Gratitude and graciousness are closely akin. By consciously developing a sense of gratitude, your personality will become more courtly, dignified and gracious. Never let a day pass without a few minutes spent in giving thanks for your blessings. Remember that gratitude is a matter of comparison. Compare circumstances and events against what they might have been. You’ll become aware that no matter how bad things are, they could be much worse—and you’ll be grateful they aren’t.

Three phrases should be among the most common in your daily usage. They are “Thank you.” “I’m grateful . . .,” and “I appreciate . . . .”

Be thoughtful. Try to find new and unique ways to express your gratitude. Not necessarily in material gifts, however. Time and effort are more precious, and the amount of these you dispense in showing gratefulness will be well worthwhile.
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Thoughts on Gratitude

Here are some great thoughts on gratitude. Many thinkers throughout time have written down their thoughts and theories on why its important to be grateful for what you have and gratitude for where you are in life. Enjoy these nuggets of wisdom and think about things in your life that you are grateful for:

• God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?” ~William A. Ward
• The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer
• Think about what you want, not what you don’t want. Be grateful for what you got, and you will get more to be grateful for. ~Travis Wright
• Gratitude is the memory of the heart. ~Jean Baptiste Massieu, translated from French
• Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone. ~G.B. Stern
• If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart
• If you have lived, take thankfully the past. ~John Dryden
• When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? ~G.K. Chesterton
• The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. ~John E. Southard
• [G]ratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~G.K. Chesterton
• You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink. ~G.K. Chesterton
• For each new morning with its light,
  For rest and shelter of the night,
  For health and food, for love and friends,
  For everything Thy goodness sends.
  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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