How much of your time is spent looking for the negative? Are you always complaining, comparing, or expressing what you perceive as injustices that have happened to you? Do you think about what could have been done differently, or what would have happened if someone would have come through for you – how life would have been different if you hadn’t experienced losses or traumatic events?

Get Out of the Past

Living in the past is a very common phenomenon that is useless and contrary to gratitude. We can consciously say we will not ‘go there,’ then steer our minds back to relive whatever we are stuck on, again and again. It takes practice. Replace the tendency of gravitating to a toxic regret by making gratitude a part of your thoughts on a regular basis, instead of just declaring, “I will not think about the past.”

The power of our minds is amazing. When we have been living a certain way, with resentments or other feelings we have come to treat as immovable truths, we cannot be present, or able to move on to better things. Gratitude grounds you in care, love and understanding for yourself. When you approach life with gratitude, you are strong and able to be helpful to others, even if your life presents challenges.

You’re The Only One Who Can Change You

It is up to you to be the change in your own life. It is important to know how to be open to receiving help and love – that is essential. Yet, ultimately you are the one who decides the way your mind is going to process all that affects it, and all that we want to transform. Like the foundation of a building, you need to build a solid foundation for yourself. There are five values – love, truth, peace, non-violence, and right conduct. The mortar that holds them together is gratitude and knowing what is important.

If we lack gratitude, we are probably waiting for something to change or to come into our lives, or to be relieved of a problem or situation. Without gratitude for this moment, whatever it is, true transformation cannot happen. Stop waiting. Share what you have now. Come together with others. You might think “how can I help somebody when I have huge challenges in my own life?” See how much you can affect a person by sharing a smile. You never know what your smile is going to do. We all have to individually be the change. We can’t wait for a perfect moment or an organized movement. It doesn’t take that much to knock on an elderly neighbor’s door or to pick up trash on your street. Each one of us has to take complete control of our own destiny. That begins with having gratitude for where we are right now.

#LLLD

Gratitude: Yes Please

Gratitude: Yes Please, part of the “Get a Grip” series by Derek O’Neill, takes a fresh and dynamic approach toward this highly relevant topic for our times. How does gratitude manifest in your life? Does it motivate and inspire you to help others? Among the subjects explored in this small but powerful book are the tools we need to jumpstart a gratitude practice, a look at how gratitude connects us, what living in cause vs. effect means, and ways to integrate gratitude into meditation. When you begin to transform your attitude into one of gratitude, you will see great results in every part of your life!