Gratitude’s Generative Power

When my seven year old granddaughter is grateful, she jumps up and down, screeching inaudible noises while clapping her hands. Everyone around her knows she is grateful. Her auric field is on high alert of an energy akin to star twinkles mixed with chocolate candy Kisses. She is all in. And yet her gratitude, at age 7, is contingent on something tangible. Her grandmother is coming to town. The two of us are going on a date to see the latest kid movie while sharing popcorn in seats that recline. Or, she is getting a toy she REALLY, REALLY wants.

And yet the spiritual journey invites us to be grateful regardless of condition. After a crappy diagnosis we didn’t want to receive. After losing a job we worked so hard to get. After a check or two or three bounced. And yet when things aren’t seemingly going our way, we can experience dejection and want to go to bed.

Oprah tells a story of phoning Maya Angelou over a life experience that was “unwanted.” She felt a bit victimized and Maya told her to stop her whining and to give thanks to God for what has transpired. Why? Because what our Soul knows is that EVERYTHING works together for the Goodness and Glory of God aka our own lives.

And yet I, myself, have written many blogs about experiencing emotions fully. And I shall. This is not an either/or game. This is a both/and spiritual paradox. As multi-dimensional beings we will think our thoughts, emote our emotions, move our bodies, breathe our breath and in the midst of all of this regardless of the circumstances, we can be grateful. So I can feel dejected, and want to go to bed (and maybe even go) and yet my Soul can jump up and down and clap. My Soul knows that I am about to undergo a ripening process and with awareness and co-operation can come out of the challenge with more of my Self and a greater capacity for service on this planet.

Dr. Ernest Holmes, founder of Science of Mind, knew the power of gratitude so intimately that he incorporated it into his five step prayer practice of affirmative prayer; being grateful before a prayer has born fruit. As though it already is done. Dr. Joe Dispenza has now been able to measure the generative power of gratitude in the brain and recommends staying in meditation until we can leave our time sitting with gratitude.

“You have to feel empowered for your success to show up, you have to feel abundant for your wealth to find you. You have to feel gratitude to create the life that you want.”

What if we decided to practice gratitude this week regardless of what is. This is an invitation to leave the head space of internal chatting and return to the depths of the Soul with an open heart and receive what is in front of us. Opinion is of the head. Receiving is from the heart. Which means there doesn’t have to be a reason to allow yourself to light up. I’ll join you in this for the week. I will be aware of my heart space, and be grateful for my life in the moment.

Happy Thanksgiving,

If you are interested in learning more about Affirmative Prayer, check out Reverend Bonnie’s book Affirmative Prayer: Becoming Your Own Answered Prayer.