Gratitude, it's good medicine

Gratitude is not a one-serving meal relegated to Thanksgiving and plates full of yummy traditions and comfort. Gratitude is an all-round accompaniment, perfect for gatherings, holidays, and quiet solitude. Gratitude travels well. It works in all kinds of weather and is never out of season, too early, or too late. Essentially, gratitude is the perfect gift to give as well as receive.

We feel good when we get in touch with our sense of gratefulness and thanks. Our energy is boosted. Our hearts expand as we move into that place of connected appreciation. Even those diligent Harvard researchers tell us that making a conscious and regular habit of gratitude benefits us both physically and emotionally. And, we know that the Buddhists, great philosophers and mystics, mind-body researchers, positive psychologists, higher consciousness teachers, and our favorite Queen of the Zeitgeist, Oprah whole-heartedly concur. Gratitude is good medicine.

I love hanging out in a place of gratitude. Sometimes, gratitude is an unexpected surprise that comes unbidden on soft little feet that taps me in the noggin with the realization of how very grateful I am for someone’s place in my life. This is especially true when the “someone-I-thought-I-was-making-me-crazy” turns out to be a blessing. I don’t know if the gods are playing with the dials behind the scenes, but all of sudden, the light shifts and I am flooded with an expanded awareness that opens my heart. And it feels so good.

Gratitude not only fills my heart, it fills my eyes. I become a watery-eyed mess when I am touched by the kindness and goodness of others. Gratitude also feeds my heart hungry for meaning and connection. It reinforces and re-cements my connections with my personal peeps along with the world at large. And this makes gratitude a form of prayer for me. It has become my bridge to the divine as it lifts me up to a place of oneness.

Gratitude, it can change your perspective, open your heart, connect you with others, touch the divine, boost your energy, and make you feel good. It is, indeed, good medicine.