Living In the Grace of Gratitude ~ How Gratitude Changes Everything!
Posted: Friday, November 14, 2008
by Camille Strate
JoyZAChoice
At this moment, I'm groovin' in the Grace of Gratitude. A place where no bump in the road can disturb the serenity of my Spirit. A place where, no matter what challenges occur, I know I will meet them without fear or doubt. A place where, at long last, I can walk in Trust. I have been blessed with many gifts, and the one that is most treasured in this moment is Gratitude.
Along the way I've learned that regardless of circumstance or cash flow, there is always something to be grateful for. And if it means I must sit in a pile of dirt to see how lovely the grass is, then that is what I shall do. I can lie in my cozy bed, with my cat curled up beside me and look out the window at the marvelous view. I can go to the kitchen and open the fridge to see the food that nourishes me. Or the water that flows out of a faucet. Or the switch that turns on a light. All of these things, which may seem inconsequential, become very large things when we don't have them. Don't believe me? You try going without running water for even just a day! I promise you, you will be grateful for that water when it flows with a twist of a knob. All too often we take such things for granted. But the moment they are taken away, we realize just how blessed we are to have them.
One of the most amazing things about living in this Grace of Gratitude is this miraculous flowing of "more". The more grateful I am for what I have, the more I have to be grateful for. Don't know exactly why this is, but it is . I came upon this nifty little secret right about the time that my body went into full shut-down. I had always been such a physical person, thinking that who I was had everything to do with my strong, agile body. I was known as a "bad ass". Now, this may sound strange for those who've seen me in the flesh because I'm quite a tiny little thing. I stand a whopping 5 feet 3.5 inches (yep, that half inch mattered to me!). And prior to this physical 'malady', I weighed 125 lbs. That was 125 lbs. of solid muscle. No kidding! I pushed this little body to extremes at every turn. And when it had had enough, it just shut down. NOT a fun experience.
Today, I am nothing like that 'other person'. I barely tip the scales at 105. The muscle mass has diminished at a shocking rate. I look like someone else. And the truth is, I am . I see now how blindly I was living my life. How completely without purpose or truth. I was a walking, breathing empty vessel. I took so much for granted and never had a clue. It was a very mindless existence. But no more. Today, even though my physical Self has been transformed to less than what it was, my Inner Self has also been transformed. Today I can count my blessings, each and every one of them, and smile at my good fortune. I can look at who I am with love and kindness. I can forgive my Self the past cruelties and move forward in this lovely grace. All because of a dis-ease.
So, on this glorious November day, I pray that everyone on the planet will soon experience the Grace of Gratitude. I truly believe that when we do, the planet will heal, just as we will. The Grace of Gratitude. This is the place I wish for you.
This Article has been viewed 138 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Hi Camille.How beautiful! How wondrously marvelous your article is and your wish for humanity. I shall count my blessings today and hopefully tomorrow and tomorrow because of you. You may have to remind me again some day, though. It's not always an easy thing to do.Thanks so much for sharing this.DianneSweet Dianne~
As always, it's wonderful to hear your kind words and know that mine have touched you. Perhaps it may not always be "an easy thing to do" just yet. But one thing I've learned is that the more I DO live in this graceful place, the easier it is to stay there. Honest! I shall keep you in MY thoughts each time I say 'thanks'. This way, even if you're not quite thinking same, I'll be tossin' out that gratitude vibe for you! Whaddya think?
Sending hugs, giggles and MUCH gratitude to YOU~
Camille OliviaCamille,You are so sweet! That would be wonderful. I need lots of good vibes.Dianne
hi camille,although everyone's experiences are different, and important to their lives, i have to say, i know what you mean, after the past 20 months of losing so much i took for granted. a car, money, 2 kids moving out, a few teeth, insurance, no electricity a few times for a few days, etc., but as you say, i feel Blessed for what i do have.everything seems brighter and more valuable. God seems closer. angels seem more real. spirits i talk to like my mom and dad and grandparents, seem to be listening and helping. i guess sometimes when we aren't paying attention, God puts things in our path to wake us up and teach us how to smell the coffee, and be grateful to be able to. thanks for a great, inspiring article,my best to you,sue
Camille, I start and end each day with gratitude and know exactly what you mean that when you are grateful, you get more to be grateful for. I am grateful to you for writing this wonderful article! There IS so much to be thankful for, so much we take for granted--we just have to stop and appreciate it. I will be looking forward to your column here, too. Warmly, Barbara
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.