Article 11 2005

INSPIRITRIX.COM

Article 11, 2005

NAVIGATE WITH GRATITUDE

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
—Melody Beattie

Every morning you wake up is another chance to begin anew, to correct your course, to create a new history, to make some new “good old days,” to forge a brand new ending. Each new day is not to be wasted on regretting past choices or worrying about things that are not in your control. Each day is your fresh, new opportunity to do things differently, to get better results, to be more loving toward yourself and others, and to get one step closer to your goals. Therefore, do you start each day with gratitude in full recognition of your wonderful opportunity?

Not always? Why not? Perhaps, you don’t feel all that grateful at times because life keeps throwing you curve balls and you keep getting off course. Well, you can try selling that excuse, but I don’t know any pilots, ship captains, or explorers who, when they realize they have veered off course, would simply give up and say, “Well, the wind blew me in this direction, so I guess I’ll just have to keep going where I don’t want to go, darn it!” Of course they wouldn’t resign their fate like that. Instead, they would remain constantly aware and make corrections as often as necessary to get back on and stay on course, so they could end up where they intended to go.

Why, then, if you would never expect those experienced travelers to do something so ridiculous as to settle for being off course, would you accept it for yourself? The answer is simple. It’s because if you don’t realize that getting off course is part of the traveling process, you can mistake it for failure and give up too soon. Sure, you may even be experiencing the consequences of some of your past choices at this very moment, but the sooner you see those circumstances as your opportunities for gaining wisdom and for growth, the sooner you can put your focus and energy where it needs to be—on what you can do with all those experiences NOW.

For example, if you had a spouse that ruined your finances, perhaps that forced you to face your deep feelings of unworthiness and to get financially savvy, and now you have enough tips on saving money to write a book or give a class on the subject and help others in your situation, which would also create a lucrative income for yourself.

You can come to understand that the people who may have hurt you in the past were in your life to present to you a meaningful growth opportunity—a chance to heal your core beliefs about yourself and your place in the world. Don’t hate them for what they brought to or wrought in your life, or as Caroline Myss says, “Don’t shoot the messenger and never get the message.” Decide to be grateful for the opportunity, get the lesson, and grow.

How? First, and most obvious, you can give thanks for everything you currently perceive as “good” as soon as it comes your way. Second, and less obvious, you can decide to look for the gift within every experience, “good” or “bad,” that occurs in your life, because there is a gift to be found. Third, and most significant, you can figure out a way to use that “bad” experience or that mistake you made to help yourself and others, thereby expanding the gift.

Reaping the benefits of your life goals requires similar thanksgiving. As you think about your goals, take a few minutes to answer the following questions:

In what ways have the trials and tribulations you have experienced made you stronger, wiser, or more spiritual?

How has a mistake you made actually changed your life for the better?

What is one situation you might have been looking at as having had a negative impact on you that you can now see gave you something positive for which you can be grateful?

Finally, how will it change your life if you live from gratitude and appreciation for all that occurs in your life, and you find out how abundant and meaningful your life really is?

Thank you! Gracie! Merci! Gracias! Danke! Obrigado!

“A person of power embraces challenges in complete gratitude. No matter the situation life may bring, discontent is never justified, rather all is experienced as an opportunity and a privilege to adventure and grow.”
—James Ray

© Copyright 2005 by Robin Wilder. All rights reserved. Please honor this copyright. While this publication is intended for mass distribution, it's not to be altered in any way. You may copy it for your personal use or forward it to people whom you feel may benefit from receiving it, or you may post it to any newsgroups or forums, provided you copy or post it in the same form as it was originally published and the signature and copyright information are included in full. Editors and publishers are free to reprint this article as long as it's reprinted in its entirety and the signature and copyright information are included in full. If you have any questions or comments, please send us an email or visit www.inspiritrix.com for additional contact information.

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