Being Grateful

Oct 02, 2011 Features / Columnists, Food For Thought

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I remember sitting with my dog, reading positive materials, surrounded by beauty. I felt a sense of calm and fulfillment. I was so grateful for my surroundings and my family and good friends.
The day before writing this I closed the doors of a business. As the business was ending, everyone kept asking, “Aren’t you sad?” “Don’t you miss it?” “What are you going to do now?” I felt as if they thought my world should’ve been coming to an end and I remember thinking, “WOW! One door closes and another one opens.”
Over the years I’ve learned everything that happens is exactly as it should be. It didn’t mean that I was happy about what was taking place, but situations always seem to work themselves out and I usually figure out the lessons learned — even if it takes years. I could tell people thought it was strange I wasn’t taking it as badly as they thought I should’ve. I felt loss but it was also time to move on, move forward to bigger and better things, as I did.
I was thinking, “How great is this? I could sit in the yard now and write.” While I was thinking how grateful I was, they were thinking poor Marion, and I thought they knew me better than that. I realize now everyone is different and I can’t expect everyone to be on board with being grateful for positive thinking and visualization. Your best friends and closest family members may never understand, that’s okay! Just keep moving forward.
I knew at that moment I was exactly where I wanted to be, doing what I was suppose to be doing and I was grateful for the opportunity. After all, it is my life’s mission, my passion; helping others, so NO I wasn’t sad, I was ecstatic.
I am totally grateful for where I am at this exact moment in time, and you will see if you begin to be grateful for being exactly where you are, right now, you will also see how your life changes.
You might be saying, “What is she nuts, I’m poor?” or “Be grateful for where I am right now? My kids are terrors!” “She’s telling me to be grateful for where I am NOW? Is she kidding me?”
I’m here to tell you – YES!
When you become grateful for what you have in the present, it allows more to come into your future. If you do not have money right now, do your best not to think you are poor or in debt, instead begin thinking about what you do want as far as money goes. Start focusing on financial freedom instead of poverty or debt.
You must stay focused on what you DO want and rid yourself of unwanted thoughts. These thoughts will bring on more of what you don’t want. This is just how the mind works.
I once heard, “Whatever you think about, you bring about.” (You must stay focused on the end result in order to acquire it.) Here’s my favorite quote: “Whatever you focus on is what you get, good or bad.”
So why not focus on the good?
Recently I went through a different experience with money issues that I’d never gone through before. As I got caught up in the negative thought process of scarcity, it seemed as if I got more scarcity. The more I thought it, it felt like the less I had. I decided to take a new approach; after all, the money is always there, one way or another when I need it.
Why would you want to focus on being poor when you could imagine being rich? That’s like saying to the Universe “I’ll take more poverty please”. And the Universe will give you more poverty. Instead think about riches or living comfortably, whatever it is you want. Think it, feel it, put yourself in it. Picture yourself already being rich, or comfortable, already having all that you desire.
So, now I start with being grateful for what I have: a wonderful husband, furry kids, family and friends, a beautiful place to live, a bed to sleep in, my health, my knowledge, my wisdom, my ability to share with others.
I found making a list, at some point in the day, of things I’m grateful for makes a huge difference. It’s better when I do it right before I go to bed because then it’s a great ending to have on my mind upon going to sleep. I believe I have a better night’s sleep when I do this. I don’t always write it down at night – as a matter of fact, I haven’t written it down in my book in a couple of years, but I do think about it.
What am I grateful for today? Sometimes it’s as simple as “I’m grateful to have healthy hands and fingers to type.” Other days it’s “I’m grateful for having a loving husband”, or “I’m grateful for the person holding the door open for me”, or “I’m grateful for the beautiful scenery around me”. It doesn’t have to be complicated, just truthful.
Be grateful for who you are, what you have, what you’ve learned in the past, what you’ll learn in the future, your family and friends, your good moments and bad moments and most of all be grateful to be part of this wonderful Universe.

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