The Season of Gratitude: Expanding Spiritual Awareness


fall_colorI am grateful for the beautiful colors of the leaves on the trees this year, as we experience autumn changing into winter. Offering gratitude for these changes assists me in feeling better about the approaching weather changes.

Besides winter coming, we are now approaching the season of gratitude. This is the time of year that our society’s culture focuses on giving “Thanks” and being “Merry. This focus is driven by two holidays Thanksgiving and Christmas, both of which have become so commercial. But enough about that.

Consider expanding your spiritual awareness during this season. Life is more enjoyable if one lives in a season of gratitude every day. Dr. Robert Emmons, Psychologist at U.C. Davis, (http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/people/raemmons) has been researching the science of gratitude, only to find out the same result with each research group. He says “we always find the same thing:”  participants who kept a gratitude journal improved their quality of life.

Dr. Emmons found that people who count their blessings will exercise regularly, complain of fewer illness symptoms and feel better about their lives overall. What a simple way to enjoy life. Not sure how you would do this and feel better? Dr. Emmons recommends ways to put gratitude into daily practice and feel the benefits.

  • Establish a daily practice to remind yourself of the things you enjoy!
  • Remember the bad, this assists you in realizing how good it is now.
  • Learn prayers of gratitude.
  • Use all your senses to gain appreciation for all there is.
  • Use visual reminders to trigger thoughts of gratitude.
  • Practice gratitude every day and post it somewhere.
  • Use language such as gifts, blessings, fortunate, and abundance.
  • Use grateful motions: smile, say thank you, etc.
  • Look for new situations for which to feel grateful.

By practicing gratitude, being grateful for all you see, hear, smell and feel, your spiritual awareness expands. Living in the feeling of gratitude provides a feeling of satisfaction and reduces stress. Try it, it works!

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