Recipes for Love: What Are You Taking for Granted?

I had an experience the other morning that brought this point home. As I was getting out of bed, I was overwhelmed by the day’s schedule, which was packed because I’m in the middle of my book tour for Unbinding the Heart. As I started to worry about how I would do it all, something inside said, “Get back to bed and start your day by being grateful.” So I spent a half hour going over all the things I am grateful for, starting with the miracle of my body, my family and friends, and the opportunity to do something I really love. It’s remarkable how, as I got out of bed, I had so much energy, joy and kept moving from one thing to the other without feeling overwhelmed. Riding the wave of gratitude can definitely keep your spirits high.

Gratitude leads to great-fullness, and this feeling of fullness is the entryway to our hearts when they are closed and shut off. Once we are in our hearts, we find solutions to the problems that once seemed overwhelming.  Once you start on the road of gratitude, there is no limit, because there are so many things we take for granted and so many things we can be grateful for. Being in a state of gratitude can move you into a state of power and presence. From a state of gratitude, we can ask for help, and people are moved to help us. A state of gratitude puts us in a state of worthiness. In a state of worthiness, we know that we are not alone.

Here is the five-step, quick fix to get you back to your heart:

1. Suspend all judgments of what is going on.
2. Change the channel to being grateful for every little thing.
3. Continue to be grateful and appreciative for things that are right in your life.
4. Observe how with gratitude things can shift for you.
5. Express your gratitude in words and actions to those around you.