Gratitude

Having an "attitude of gratitude" is an overused phrase these days for sure. Why it is so overused, though, is because it's right on target as being a wonderful way to live. By being grateful for what we currently have or see, etc, we open our energy up to receive more of that which we are grateful for.

Have you ever been angry about something or fed up with a specific situation and tried to divert your attention to what you're grateful for? If you haven't tried this, do so. It puts things into perspective a bit, and helps shift the issue you're dealing with so solutions can be more easily revealed.

Gratitude truly opens up the heart, so if you're a bit closed hearted, it helps open the doorway for understanding and growth. If your heart is already open, gratitude widens that openness with even more gratitude and all the fabulous emotions that come with it.

This week, taking an attitude of gratitude is going to be my focus. I usually find time at the end of my day to review things to be grateful for that day. This week I plan to schedule reminders to add conscious gratitude at various points throughout the day and see what effect it may have on me, those around me, and my overall interactions.

"I Am" Fun

The words we place after "I am" are quite significant and have an impact on our cellular structure.  Think about it - people who regularly say "I am tired, I am depressed, I am disgusted," usually radiate that out from their bodies. People who say "I am ambitious, I am joyful, I am successful, I am content," etc., they too usually resonate that out to the world. 

With that in mind, I thought creating an "I am" prayer might be interesting. In doing so, I found that it lead to other branches but the basis of "I am" was present. I've created more "I am" prayers and not surprisingly, they all seem to help with whatever assistance or guidance I may need that day.

"I am" prayers do not need to be written down. They can be said when walking or driving, or whenever you think of it. They can be a simple "I am calm. I am love, I am open to blessings from above" or whatever comes to mind for you in that moment.  Here's an example:

I love myself. I love myself. I love myself.

I am worthy of love.

I am worthy of success.

I am deserving of freedom as is everyone.

I understand the laws of attraction to bring into my reality that which I desire and that which aligns with the Divine Plan.

I am powerful.

I am abundant.

I am me, and I am magnificent.

We also may not feel the thing we are saying after the "I am".  We may say "I am sleepy" to help us fall asleep, or "I am calm" to helps us settle emotions. And we may need to say it a lot of times until we feel it. The more you say it, the more you resonate with it.

Play around with it and see how "I am" prayers can affect your moments. 

Unprevailing Fear

Growing up in many of our families and societal systems there were and continue to be fear-driven models in the effort to coerce a standard.

As toddlers we are afraid to disappoint our parents or siblings so we can maintain their love and acceptance. In school we are taught to fear punishment for disobeying rules; we are groomed into self-consciousness for fear of not belonging. As we grow older, we fear losing our jobs, relationships, or social status.  

We can also inherit fears from our parents or someone close to us. The fears may not have originated with us but since someone we knew exhibited this fear, and we were exposed to it for a length of time, we had the chance to acquire that fear too.

Fear is instilled in each of us to some degree. It has become a factor in how we live our lives or unconsciously choose not to live them. Sometimes we aren't even aware of the impact these fears have on us.  

But we don't need to live in fear. We can acknowledge these aspects of ourselves and work to release them in whatever way is best for us. By checking in periodically with ourselves, we can notice when we're living the moment out of fear versus living the moment from our hearts. If you're well versed in the fear aspect, each baby step is fabulous.

Celebrate the moments where we understand the fear. For once we know and are aware we can allow time and design a plan to help mitigate and release the fears one by one.