I love being reminded to do what feels good. I don’t mean that I want someone to tell me “you should do this or that”. I mean, I want to become aware of a teaching through words someone speaks on my own…that is what I mean about reminding.

This morning I was walking down my hall and my puppy was on my heels. As I turned, we both collided and hit my wine rack and 2 glasses smashed. For an instant as I got to my knees to pick up the broken glass, I noticed my thoughts spiral really fast. I wasn’t upset that the glasses broke at all, but it was as if that one moment of unexpected interruption, so to speak, was a chance for my mind to jump in and be negative.

It was then that I remembered – GRATITUDE and I was reminded of what Rob Wergin had reinforced in a recent 10 hour healing immersion I did with him – “be grateful for every experience, they all have teachings for you”.  So I thought to myself, I can be grateful right now or spiral into a negative mental hole. I was not grateful that my last favourite wine glass I brought home from our house in Mexico broke! But after a few seconds, I asked myself “what am I grateful for?”. From there, I felt myself lift from within, I felt happier than I did before the incident of collision with Barkley (my puppy).

What I love about being grateful and remembering all day every day to list all I am grateful for, is the internal shift it creates immediately. We know thoughts are energy and when you think one thought, another one like it comes along in about 16 seconds, so it doesn’t take long to get into a tailspin of negativity. With gratitude, you are thinking such good quality thoughts that carry lovely high vibrational energy, so naturally when you think grateful thoughts, you are going to feel better and better. And the good news? We can choose to think any thought we want. Also, the energy of your thoughts, directly influences your cells and therefore your immediate and long term health.

Another thing I love about remembering to think grateful thoughts, is that it also cuts me off from complaining. You cannot complain about something and be grateful at the same time. If you are complaining, then you are for sure allowing one negative thought after the other to line up and stream through your mind or mouth. When you choose gratitude, you are choosing to remember that you have a choice to think any thought you want, you are deciding that you would rather feel good. So when you choose gratitude, you begin to break the mental habit of thinking and speaking words that don’t feel good.

Some great gratitude practices are –

A gratitude journal.  Every day, sit down for a few minutes and write down all you are grateful for.

Sit in front of a mirror, look into your eyes (your soul) and list all you are grateful for.

Practice throughout your day in your mind or out loud, maybe in your yoga practice, on a walk or while driving (any activity where you are not fully focused on something).

If you feel like you do not have anything to be grateful for, I am telling you, you do, you just need to start simple and small.

What about being grateful for the colour of your eyes, your feet, your healthy body, the roof over your head, a dear friend? Being grateful doesn’t mean, material things, although this practice will bring more of what you want into your life, it is about truly and honestly saying thank you, for what you love and value in your life.

I am grateful to have this platform to share my life experiences with you! Lara