52 weeks of gratitude

grat·i·tude [grat-i-tood, -tyood]-noun a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.

How easy it is to focus on that which is lacking in one's life. Before too long, the negative obscures the positive and one's mental state soon becomes mired in despondency. 'Poor me. I guess I'll just go eat some worms.....'

Last week, I told someone my life 'sucked'. First of all, I hate that word and am embarrassed that I used it. But more than that, I'm mortified that I actually described my blessed, privileged experience on this planet earth as being 'less than' ideal.

So, in keeping with tradition at this time of year, I resolve to cultivate an attitude of gratitude for the abundance of positive blessings I experience in my life.

When that pathetic, whiny, egocentric voice in my head emits a pitiful complaint about a supposed superficial lack in my life, I plan to immediately counter its power by thinking of and verbalizing at least three things to be grateful for.

To start my new practice, I am grateful for LOVE. I am swimming in love every minute of every day. I am bombarded by love from every angle. I am satiated by love.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity .... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."- Melodie Beattie, author

(Be prepared, dear reader. I need to exercise my gratitude muscle so will post a declaration of gratitude each week with an accompanying picture.)