What’s Keeping You Down?

A lot is written at this time of the year reminding you to be grateful for what you have and thanking God or your Creator for your blessings. Yes, it is good and important to be grateful and set aside one day per year to express that gratefulness but what about the rest of the year? Most people miss the vast difference between being grateful and living a life in gratitude. The definition of grateful is having or showing the desire or reason to thank somebody for something. For example, at Thanksgiving families express gratefulness for the past year and look forward to the year ahead. The definition of gratitude is a feeling within of being thankful, appreciating and acknowledging all there is in your life and in your surroundings no matter how poor or opulent. When you feel like you are settling for second best or always pursuing “stuff” you are experiencing a non-gratitude attitude which can result in a feeling of overwhelm, unhappiness and great discouragement – or all three. The chains of “always wanting more,” “self-doubt” and “second guessing oneself” are paralyzing. A gratitude attitude breaks those chains, frees and empowers you. Identify Toxic Thinking A Feng Shui lifestyle is more than just the location of your home or office and the placement of your belongings. A Feng Shui lifestyle also includes balance in your thinking, emotional well-being and a gratitude attitude. Out of this balance emerges the future you wish to create. If you are constantly wanting and seduced by unending materialism, too much television, the mystique of endless hours on social media, food cravings and eating, the latest electronic gadgets or non-stop sports, there is little or no room for a peace-filled non-wanting balanced life that comes from a gratitude attitude. Tear Down the Walls of Seduction Where do the walls of seduction lie in your life? What areas seduce you into thinking “if you only had more,” “if they only treated me better,” “if my family was in contact more,” if only my home was bigger or in a better neighborhood,” “if only I could lose weight” or “if only I had more money”? This type of negative thinking creates blockages in your life and prevents you from finding joy, being at peace within, and living happily in the moment. Key areas of seduction that cause such blockages include: • Home – too small, wrong neighborhood, outdated decor • Personal appearance and image – too heavy, too thin, not tan enough, not enough clothes • Family and children – never call, take advantage of, unequal relationships • Hobbies – too few, too many, too time-consuming • Money – too little, poor investments • Career – too few promotions, too little prestige, too demanding, not challenging enough • Friends – too few, too many, unequal relationships • Social media and technology – always in contact but never connected Isn’t it time for you to tear down the seduction walls that chain you down and prevent you from having a gratitude-filled joyful life? Unchain Your Future Create a new thought loop. The easiest way to unchain your future and experience a lifestyle filled with gratitude, joy, freedom and to create a better tomorrow is to stop limiting yourself to your internal negative thinking. Get rid of that constant negative loop that says “I can’t,” “nothing goes my way,” “it’s someone else’s fault,” “I don’t know if I made the right decision,” or “what if tomorrow is worse?” Replace those negative thoughts with gratitude thinking such as “I will take responsibility for the way I feel, the choices I make, the job that I have, my relationships and my time; and am grateful for what I have.” You can also use the first few lines of the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Choose to awaken each day with a grateful heart. A gratitude attitude permeates the heart and soul and is a way of life. Use your senses to find gratitude in every waking millisecond. • see beauty and abundance in your surroundings and within • hear the joy of birds in the country, a dog in your yard or bustling city sounds • taste the food on your table, a snowflake falling or the salt spray of the ocean • smell the fragrance of a newborn, fresh laundry, newly blossomed flowers or baked goods • feel joy where ever it appears, a birthday cake, leftover meatloaf, the hug of a friend whether virtual or in person A life lived in gratitude is empowering and will shout joyfully in appreciation for all that is good in the world which makes room for all the blessings yet to come. © Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2012