April Insights: Gratitude
Gratitude


Do you ever sit and ponder on the things you feel grateful for?
Just recently we visited Bali. Aside from shopping, sitting in a pool enjoying a cool drink to cool off, and visiting wonderful places, I really took notice of the people, the culture and my heart became so full of gratitude.
I felt grateful for my life as the Balinese people often struggle in their day to day life, for food, water, and accommodation. These are basic things which I might at times take for granted.
I felt grateful for their smiles, their gratitude toward me for buying one of their dresses, as I have now given them good luck all day.
My gratitude for sharing their beautiful sacred temples, and this feeling of deep emotion in having this opportunity to be present while there.
So many things which evoked a deep gratitude for this wonderful little place caused me to consider my own waste, and having respect for those small things which seem to come so easily to me. The gestures, a smile when I meet people, thinking about how lucky I am in my life, and taking the time to consider gratitude in more ways.
Gratitude is a way of life, a way of showing the universe we do appreciate what we have been given, and shows the way to opening doors for more of our needs. Just as the Balinese lady rubbed the money I gave her on all the items in the store, “Bring more luck” she said, and so many thank you’s, this is such a lesson!
If we can harness gratitude practice daily, it brings our mind set into the understanding of joy and happiness, feeling lucky and grateful for all things. The people in our lives, our own ability to survive circumstance, the sun, the rain, the moon, nature, everything!
When we can stop and find things daily to feel grateful for, we can also change our mindset from lacking to abundance, from sadness to thinking, hey I have so much to feel grateful for, this makes me feel happy.
Much Love,
April. 💛