GRATITUDE

" When you stop comparing what is right here and now with what you wish were, you can begin to enjoy what is." - Cheri Huber

To be grateful means you are thankful for and appreciative of what you have and where you are on your path right now. Gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling of being blessed with many gifts and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path. As you strive to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience the full wonder of "here".

My friend Martin always used to complain about the city of Los Angeles, where he lived for three years while getting his doctorate. He complained incessantly about the smog, the traffic, and the expensive lifestyle. Martin was convinced life would be far rosier when he would be able to move to another city.

Within a few weeks of finishing his program and earning his degree, Martin packed his belongings and moved to Boulder. Within months of his arrival there, he began to complain about the cold weather, the slow pace, and how much difficulty he was having finding a house that was up to his standards. Suddenly, he regretted that he never appreciated the sunny weather and the exciting lifestyle of Los Angeles. In my last conversations with Martin, I gently pointed out that perhaps this was an opportunity for him to learn the lesson of gratitude by appreciating the splendor of his new city, rather than focusing on another "there."

Gratitude is a lesson that needs to be reinforced often. It is too easy to overlook the gifts you have when you focus on those that you hope to obtain, and you diminish the value of where you currently are on your path if you do not pause often to appreciate it.

There are many ways to cultivate gratitude. Here are just a few suggestion you may wish to try:

• Imagine what your life would be like if you lost all that you had. Like George Bailey in the movie It's a Wonderful Life, this will most surely remind you of how much you do appreciate it
• Make a list each day of all that you are grateful for, so that you can stay conscious daily of your blessings. Do this especially when you are feeling as though you have nothing to feel grateful for. Or spend a few minutes before you go to sleep giving thanks for all that you have.
• Spend time offering assistance to those who are less fortunate than you, so that you may gain perspective.
• Look for the gift in each challenging incident.

However you choose to learn gratitude is irrelevant. What really matters is that you create a space in your consciousness for appreciation for all that you have right now, so that you may live more joyously in your present moment.