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July/August 2010 Everyday Intention
Living an Attitude of Gratitude

by Michelle Garnier Winkler

During the quiet and busy times, we can all squeeze in a moment to say thank you to no one in particular.

Notice the little things. The traffic light that turns green just before you step on the brakes. When you go in search of something in a book and immediately open to it. The radio station that plays your favorite song.

All of these should be recognized as gifts. When you make the shift from thinking of such incidents — if you acknowledge them at all — as gifts, your days are filled with more pleasure and you are aware that you’re taken care of by something more divine.

Thankful for Work

Bringing gratitude to work makes your workday less stressful, more rewarding and totally energizing. For caregivers and healers, we can be grateful for being of service and doing something to make an impact on someone’s life. Creative professionals can take pleasure in the process of creation as well as being thankful for the opportunity to express themselves. Business people of all stripes can be grateful for coworkers who make them smile, the meeting that gets rescheduled and the client who says thank you.

Thankful for Home

Feeling and expressing gratitude for your family helps you to be filled with compassion and know that we are all connected. Acknowledge your in-laws for helping to create the person you love. Appreciate just how much joy children bring into the world, even when they’re yours and they’re driving you crazy. We all have at least one bothersome relative. You can give them thanks for providing you with a mirror reflecting back those same unpleasant traits in yourself, which helps you to see things you want to change about yourself.

Thankful for Challenges

Being grateful during hard times isn’t likely the first thing that comes to mind — this is truly spiritual work. The symptoms of stress are also a great teacher. They actually reveal where we need more gratitude. Physical pain is a wake-up call to slow down, listen to your body and express thankfulness by giving it what it needs. Insomnia and restlessness instruct us to heed the inner voice of wisdom we all possess and to be grateful for its perpetual truth.

Tears, even if they seem to be a never-ending river, are a lesson in release. By letting them flow instead of holding them back, you’re honoring your emotional need to rid yourself of excess energy and aid you in moving beyond. It’s certainly not easy in the face of grief, anger or fear to be filled with appreciation, but doing so shines a light on the blessing that will inevitably come out of the darkness. More importantly, it floods you with faith.

One of my favorite techniques to help ingrain the attitude of gratitude into consciousness is to count all the day’s blessings and gifts just before falling asleep. Try to recall and appreciate everything. I always note all the safe travel, my good health, the abundance of food and the love, guidance and healing I’ve been fortunate to receive. Then I move on to anything unique to that day. As you recount all these things, you’ll find your body and emotions softening, and perhaps even feel moved to tears.

The expression of gratitude throughout all aspects of your life is a golden doorway. It helps the ordinary to become sacred. It also puts you into the flow of life to get more joy, peace, hope, love, inspiration and insights. Start by noticing the small things and you’ll be on your way.

Michelle Garnier Winkler, a Reiki master teacher at Create Healing in Portland, strives to follow the Reiki principle of “just for today — be grateful.” Visit www.createhealingreiki.com.