Gratitude

"Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot." - The Hausa of Nigeria

As Thanksgiving approaches, thoughts turn to gratitude. For some, it’s the once-a-year holiday ritual around the dinner table as each person states what they are most thankful for, i.e: family, health, job, etc.

Having an attitude of gratitude throughout the year, however, is nothing short of trans formative. That’s because of the universal law that states: What you focus on expands. In other words, what you appreciate appreciates. And, where attention goes, energy flows.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes that help remind me to have an attitude of gratitude throughout the year!

"Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality." - Alfred Painter

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." - G.K. Chesterton

"Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty." - Doris Day

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." - William Arthur Ward

"Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has plenty: not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some." - Charles Dickens

"Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road." - John Henry Jowett

Happy Thanksgiving!

http://www.twentygems.com/

Denna J. Shelton, Copyright, 2010

Inner and Outer Fitness

"When you reflect your Inner Self through your Outer Self, you touch the lives of others in positive ways. You help them to remember their true essence - their Inner Self."

A lady attended my class with a knee brace on her right knee. When I asked her what had happened, she said a sports orthopedic doctor told her that she had over-trained her quadriceps and under-trained her hamstrings, and this had actually created an imbalance resulting in displacement of her patella. Just as over-training one body part in your workouts can create an imbalance and an injury to your body, so it is when the focus on yourself is one sided. If your focus is all on the external, you can have feelings of discontentment and on-going restlessness. You will find you are always striving for the next external gratification to give your life a sense of passion and purpose. You may create strain in your relationships or simply feel ill at ease.

It is not an easy task to balance your Inner and Outer Self. You are bombarded with messages from the media that you must look a certain way. You are told your value is in your dress or pant size and the image you present to the world. You compare your body to others to see how you measure up. (A psychological study in 1999 found that three minutes looking at a fashion magazine caused 70% of women to feel depressed, guilty and shameful.) You are led to believe that your happiness lies outside of yourself. You think if you have a particular car, bigger house, more credentials or the perfect partner, then you can feel good about yourself. Yet, we have all experienced the people who have a glow about them even with all of their imperfections and bad hair day. Others are drawn to them like a magnet. These people clearly demonstrate inner fitness!

The question becomes then, how do you become fit on the inside? The simple truth is …Adapt a spiritual practice! To become physically fit, you must eat properly and exercise. So it is to become fit on the inside: proper spiritual nourishment and spiritual exercise! Here are three simple choices to implement daily for inner fitness:

1. Listen to Soothing Music – Take time from your day to sit back, take deep breaths, and digest soothing, peaceful music that quiets your mind and feeds your soul. Dr. Joel Robertson in his book, Natural Prozac, states “Music is one of the most powerful tools for changing brain chemistry. It alters our chemistry instantly, with no known negative side effects. If chosen well, music can be medicine for the mind and soul.”

2. Spend time in Nature – We spend so much time indoors, focused on the busyness of our lives. But much of what we need can only be found in nature along with the trees, bubbling brooks, and open sky. In nature we experience the nurturing embrace of Mother Earth. You can’t help but experience a different sense of self while walking in the woods or traversing a mountainside. When it is impossible to be outdoors, view beautiful nature footage on your television. “Visual exposure to natural settings has produced significant recovery from stress as indicated by changes in physiological measures such as blood pressure and muscle tension.” -Dr. Felf, ed. The Role of Horticulture in Human Well-Being and Social Development.

3. Meditation – Don’t panic! You don’t have to sit in the lotus position trying to quiet your mind up to an hour. Benefits of meditation can occur in as little time as fifteen minutes a day and there are many different meditation techniques to choose from; guided, moving, sounding, or breathing meditations to mention just a few. When you take the time to quiet the mind chatter and listen to the voice of your soul, spiritual growth occurs by leaps and bounds.

Being physically fit adds quality and quantity to your life! But we are not only physical beings, we are also spiritual beings. One builds upon the other. Nurturing yourself daily will balance your Inner Self with your Outer Self. It will bring you more joy, harmony, and peace. Creating this balance creates a glow around your presence that others cannot help but notice. When you reflect your Inner Self through your Outer Self, you touch the lives of others in positive ways. You help them remember their true essence - their Inner Self!

 A meditative moment...C

Denna J. Shelton, Copyright, 2010 http://www.twentygems.com/

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