How do you show gratitude?
This is the time of year when people in the United States talk a lot about gratitude because we celebrate Thanksgiving this week. Truthfully, of course, most of us know the value of being grateful all the time, not just at this time of year. In thinking about this, I realized there is a way we can show gratitude to the Universe all the time and that is by living our lives with enthusiasm.
Earl Nightingale said, “The most fortunate people on earth are those who live most of their lives in a state of energizing enthusiasm.”
When you think about it, approaching life with enthusiasm, puts us in a state of gratitude as well as a great manifesting state.
What about you? What are you enthusiastic about? It seems that most of the everyday details of our lives are pretty mundane. Not many hours of our days are spent in activities that engender enthusiasm. Who can get enthusiastic about washing dishes? Or commuting to work? Or changing the oil in one's car? Boring, right?
Maybe. Maybe not. Doesn't it all depend on attitude? Is it the activity that makes us enthusiastic or do we imbue the activity with our enthusiasm? I've experimented with this and here's what I learned.
I can be enthusiastic about anything. Enthusiasm can be called forth at will. This is life changing. Imagine being able to be enthusiastic about taking out the trash. Or being enthusiastic about brushing the dog. If you could do this, how would your life change?
In a huge way, that's how. By bringing this uplifting, highly energetic, grateful, and positive spirit to everything we do, life becomes alive in an entirely new way. We don't have to wait for something to come along about which we naturally feel enthusiastic. We can feel enthusiastic about whatever we're doing at the moment. Then we will experience the truth of Nightingale's statement above.
We will be energized and fortunate. Feelings of gratitude will naturally flow without our even trying. Give this a try this week and see what happens! Happy Thanksgiving no matter where you are in the world.
Living in grace and ease,
Krysta
I sometimes I get my enthusiasm for life mixed up with OCD tendencies which seems to be exacerbated with added years. The good news for me is, I'm grateful I read the signs before heading down that trail. Also I am continually surprised at the simple little things in life that fill me with gratitude. I love this quote from Ruth Ann Schaber:
Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons.
Another way to ask the question would be, "How do we acknowledge gratitude?" Or "How do we recognize it when we see it?"