Gratitude.

“The quality or feeling of being grateful of thankful.”

I would say that it is relatively easy for people to get caught up in the negative things that impact our lives; worries, fears, doubts, failures and uncertainties.  It is an everyday encounter for most of us, that is just part of life, right?  Perhaps.  But negativity can be a slippery slope.  It may start as one small thought when you are paying your bills, or an irritating driver that makes you 5 minutes late for work.  If you think about it for a split second and let it go, then you are ahead of the curve my friend.  Because what usually happens one we get a negative thought into our head?

Spiraling….

We get stuck on that negative thing… Then we start adding more to it… Then it perpetuates and brings even more negativity… And on, and on, and on it goes.  By the end of it, depending on how long you let it go on, you could hate your life and everybody in it.

Spiraling….

It takes so much of your energy, time, effort, and it doesn’t feel good.  Nothing about it adds value to your life and at some point you have possibly started spewing some of this negative energy at the people around you.  More than likely, completely unintentionally!

Well what’s the flip side of this avalanche of darkness?  Gratitude.  It is literally impossible to feel gratitude and negative at the same time.  If you have been known to go through this process or you are recognizing it now, then you know how horrible it feels and also, how hard it can be to stop.  Now imagine how it would feel to be in a perpetual state of feeling grateful.

“Warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received.”

Honestly?  I’m not 100% sure, I have yet to be able to do it myself for a sustainable amount of time.  But based on what I do know about feeling grateful and intentionally practicing it, It would be amazing!  Maybe even the best feeling in the world.  If you were able to master the ability to conquer your negative energy, you could feel that way always.  I don’t know about you, but I say sign me up.  That is exactly what I want!  So what is stopping us from being in that state right now?  What is holding you back?

#1 – EFFORT:  Negativity is easier.  That’s the truth.  Things come at you in life, a lot of it hard.  Challenging.  If you are lazy about your attitude in life, you will spend a lot of time in Negative Town, guaranteed.  So do the work.  Take action on a daily basis and focus your energy and effort in the right places.

#2 – ENERGY:  No matter what you believe in this world, I think we can all agree that you are continually giving and receiving energy, good or bad.  You need to ensure that your vibe is positive – always.  Whenever you start to slump or you feel yourself backsliding; stop, acknowledge it, and turn it around.

#3 – YOUR CIRCLE:  Look around you at any given time.  Who are you surrounding yourself with?  How are they affecting your energy and your outlook?  Do they add to it positively?  Or are they depleting your source?  Actually take some time here and evaluate your relationships and friendships.  The people you are choosing to spend your time with may be leading you down the wrong path.  And if so, you need to change that.  The sooner, the better.

I know how challenging life can be, I truly do.  I also get that believing life is all roses and rainbows is not only impossible, but delusional.  We don’t always get to choose what happens to us in life, in fact, sometimes we have no control at all.  BUT – how we process the things that do happen and how that fuels our energy and motives…  Well that, we get to choose.  That is what makes the difference.  Not just for ourselves, but the people we work with, the people we interact with, the people we love, and especially our children.

Here’s to choosing a better life for yourself, a positive path, and finding your perpetual gratitude.  I hope for nothing but good things for you!  Enjoy your journey.

Cheers!  🙂