Gratitude

Archived Posts from this Category

05/12/2009

Be In Joy

Posted by Tiko under Anxiety, Depression, Gratitude, Hopeless, Self-Esteem, Spirit
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Every morning I read my daily inspirations delivered to my inbox…and this one in particular really touched me.  I’m inspired to bring more joy into the intricate parts of my day.  I hope you’re inspired to do the same…enjoy…

Morning Messages
by Peggy Black

Joy is the elixir for all things. Bring more joy into your tasks. When you radiate a vibration of joy, however mild, there is a shift in response within your body that is reflected in the response of your reality.

It can be an easy as a smile on your face as you do one of your many tasks. This will create a different message to your body and you will shift the usual stress responses to your work and busyness into a more conscious relaxed state of mind/heart.
Become aware of the stages or subtle frequencies of the emotional vibration you label joy. There is ecstasy, rapture, bliss, jubilation, delight, happiness, cheer, gladness, and pleasure. Practice the different frequencies of joy.

Be delighted. Celebrate the small wonders all around you. Rejoice with your breath. Smile for no reason, just smile into the moment. Allow new face muscles to be discovered as you smile into your concerns and worries.

Find cause to laugh, giggle, or radiate cheerfulness, practice being light-hearted, carefree, and elated about the miracles in your life or the miracles of the moment. Be happy, be bright, rejoice and enjoy. Be in Joy.

The skill of maintaining an attitude and frequency of joy is a most important skill. Imagine that you have a joy muscle and you have not exercised it enough. You need to stretch it, expand it and fully express it. Allow joy in any form to proceed you.

Smile as you answer the phone, make a meal, and pay your bills. Smile into the mirror each time you look at your image, smile at your reflection. Smile as you are falling asleep at night. Practice smiling even while you are thinking.

Place your awareness in your heart when you smile. This is a powerful alchemical practice. The simple act of smiling from your heart will attract more joy, bliss, and happiness into your life.

The physical tasks will flow easier, your body will respond by being relaxed with less stress. The worries will evaporate; the tasks will be completed with ease and grace. Joy will clear the way for incredible miracles and expansion. This is a wonderful skill to practice and use that will enhance everything in your life.

The energy field that radiates from joy will transform any experience, activity, outcome or results. Your joy will be like a healing balm to yourself and others in your life. Practice your joy in all is wondrous forms.

www.morningmessages.com

 

03/24/2009

Every day is a new beginning…

Posted by Tiko under Anxiety, Depression, Gratitude, Hopeless, Self-Empowerment, Self-Esteem, Spirit | Tags: , , |
1 Comment 

In the infinity of life where I am,
all is perfect, whole, and complete.My life is ever new.
Each moment of my life is new and fresh and vital.
I use my affirmative thinking to create exactly what I want.
This is a new day. I am a new me.
I think differently. I speak differently. I act differently.
Others treat me differently.
My new world is a reflection of my new thinking.
It is a joy and a delight to plant new seeds,
for I know these seeds will become my new experiences.
All is well in my world.

-Louise Hay

 

 

Thanks Evelyn for this quote!  :)

 

03/20/2009

Spring is HERE!!!

Posted by Tiko under Gratitude, Spirit
[3] Comments 

Spring  Image by OakleyOriginals

 

"Spring, the very word conjures up images of rebirth, rapidly lengthening days, emerging blossoms and greenery, and the smell of freshness. In the spring season of the human life cycle, we undertake new beginnings, a time when we change the I will statements of our winter planning to I am action statements. We may begin a new job, career, pastime, or relationship. We may start a new lifestyle or alter the old one. Spring is a time for overcoming the inertia of winter rest and springing into action, to sow the seeds of our winter planning which, with careful husbandry, will provide a rewarding harvest come autumn."

-Keith C. Heidorn
Living Gently Quarterly

 

02/27/2009

Finding downtime…

Posted by Tiko under Anxiety, Depression, Gratitude, Self-Empowerment, Spirit
[2] Comments 

When I was younger, I had the most jam packed weeks.  Each day consisted of a some tangled combination of school, extra curricular activites, church, church, and more church, choir, bible study, piano lessons, karate, swimming lessons, trips, recitals, etc…and church again…lol.  I never had a day off…hahaha…but, I was cool!  So…why is it that now, as an adult, I feel like I can't make it unless I have a day off???  I'm always looking forward to Fridays…yes…I can sleep in tomorrow.  I can stay in my pajamas all day if I want.  I can eat in my bed, in my pajamas, with my mac book and my cell phone, order Chinese, and never get up…PERFECTION!  I absolutely LOVE my bed, being in my bed, with sunlight coming through the windows…and just….ahhhhh, no responsibilities!  Everything's all good…

…Until…I find out that I'm going to be out of town THREE WEEKENDS IN A ROW!  Yes, it's exciting cause I'm going to have fun and be with people I love.  But, what about my time to do absolutely…NOTHING???  I feel myself getting cranky just thinking about it.  BUT, I realize that this is great practice for my future.  In my future, I'll have kids…I'll be a singer, writer, environmentalist, and a spiritual life coach.  Not many days off there!  So…how will I deal?

I'm trying something new. 

1.  Find something you like to do, and do it regularly.  I'm starting to practice yoga on a regular basis (just started Wednesday).  Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga…its very challenging, yet stills my mind, releases my stress, and brings me a sense of peace.  An hour and a half of pure sweaty bliss! 

2.  Treat your bedroom as your sanctuary.  I've read that people sleep better when they only use their bed for sleeping and sex…lol.  I think there may be something to that…cause I do EVERYTHING in my bed, working, talking on the phone,reading, journaling, blogging, websurfing, etc.  But lately, it's been hard for me to unwind and go to sleep when I'm done.  It's also suggested that we keep the number of electronics in the room to a minimum.  I'm kinda attached to my mac book…so, we'll see about that one…;-)

3.  Find time to pray or meditate each day.  It's so beneficial to find time, even if it's just 5 minutes, to steal away from the world and all it's worries and just breathe.  This is the ultimate vacation, just focusing on God/Source and who we are separate from our egos and labels.  Simply breathing and being still.  I've tried to do this in the mornings before work…haven't been so successful cause I'm so sleepy!  But, perhaps after I instill suggestions 1 & 2…this will become easier to do.

I'm hoping that these three changes will help.  I'll keep you guys posted.  I'm learning as I'm teaching on this one!  But, hopefully I won't need a whole Saturday to "recover" from my week anymore.  Hopefully I'll learn to practice mindfulness, living in the present moment and being grateful for each moment.  Hopefully I'll learn how to bring joy into my daily life so that each day feels like a lazy Saturday, even with a jam packed crazy schedule! 

How do you deal with YOUR daily stresses?  I'd love to hear your suggestions!

 

02/27/2009

Relax…

Posted by Tiko under Anxiety, Gratitude, Relationships, Self-Empowerment, Self-Esteem, Spirit
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"Every single person on the planet and every single Consciousness in the Universe has the same experience of being here and having a desire to be there.  In other words, it is the promise of this eternal Universe… You're always, always, always going to be on your way to something more—ALWAYS.  And when you RELAX and accept that, and stop beating up on yourself for not being someplace that you're not, and instead, start embracing where you are while you keep your eye on where you're going— now life becomes really, really, really FUN! "

-Abraham-Hicks

 

01/18/2009

A perfect day…

Posted by Tiko under Depression, Gratitude, Hopeless, Spirit
1 Comment 

It's funny how we can have a perfect day, and then allow one thing, one moment, or one careless statement from another totally ruin everything.  I'm finding that no matter what I do, or say there's no guarantee I'll make everyone happy.  Sometimes I rub people the wrong way and sometimes people find me rude.  Everyone isn't going to understand me, be patient with me, or love me unconditionally.  I'm learning that I can't get mad at those persons for that either.  I can only be me, and I can only do my best.  Sometimes I'm going to fall short.  But, during those moments, it's up to me to be patient with myself, accept myself, and love myself unconditionally.  I can't let other people's opinions of me ruin my perfect day.

Another thing I've been noticing lately is I've been placed in numerous situations that totally ruffle my feathers, really make me uncomfortable, or tick me off…and simply removing myself from the situation is not an option.  For example, I have a co-worker that eats at his desk everyday and chews with his mouth open…disgusting.  Every time I fly (which has been very frequent lately), there's always something wrong…my seat is stuck and won't adjust, my personal light doesn't work, a baby is screaming the entire flight, my seat mate listens to the same song over and over and is humming at the top of his lungs, the flight is oversold, the flight is delayed, the flight is canceled, my seat mate wants to listen to his music WITHOUT headphones…I could go on.  Lately, every single customer service person I talk to REALLY hates their job and is taking it out on me.  There's just too many things like this occurring for me not to take the time and figure out what God is trying to show me.  

I'm realizing now that I've been put in all these instances to teach me something.  That is, I can't allow outside circumstances and other people to dictate my happiness.  And, I must learn to be happy anyway.  Intending to have a peaceful day doesn't mean that everything is going to go perfectly and everyone is going to be polite and say all the right things.  Instead, it means that no matter what happens, I intend to stay at peace and have a wonderful day.  No matter what happens, I intend to stay centered.

This is something that's seemingly easier said than done.  I've been borderline depressed lately because I miss Atlanta terribly.  I miss my partner, my friends, and the familiarity of being at home.  I've always been the type of person who loved to travel, explore new places, and make new friends.  But, at times I feel like in this instance, I'm being forced to do it against my will.  I know that I chose to take this opportunity for work, and I do appreciate it and I am grateful.  But, I'd be lying if I didn't admit how I feel sometimes.  All in all, I have to incorporate this new lesson.  Can I be happy and at peace even when I'm away from home and away from my comfort zone?  Can I be away from all that I know, and still…have a perfect day…?
 

11/12/2008

What I know for sure…

Posted by Tiko under Anxiety, Depression, Gratitude, Hopeless, Self-Empowerment, Self-Esteem, Spirit
[3] Comments 

image by nati

image by nati 

Peace comes automatically with Faith in God(Source).  When we are truly trusting in God/Source as the captain of our ship, we can truly rest peacefully through any storm.  Peace comes when we truly relax in the flow, trusting that our spirit is safely guiding us through the waters of life.  The universe is always behind us and will never forsake us, as long as we have faith.

Right now, I'm experiencing a lot of major changes in my life.  There are a lot of unknown variables in play that make me nervous.  There are times when I worry that something is going to go terribly wrong.  This is when I work feverishly to try and make a plan B and C, and then a plan D in case those don't work…lol.

But, this is when I have to remind myself who is the captain of my ship.  I quickly begin to calm down and remember that everything is under control.  All I have to do is relax in the flow, stay focused on my goals, and keep my mind's eye on the end result.  I breathe deeply and trust that everything is going to be okay.  Sometimes this is hard to do.  But, this is an opportunity to PRACTICE my faith.  In practicing, my faith increases and becomes stronger.  I'm then able to maintain my peace and have a peaceful day.

Joy is everlasting when we are truly grateful.  When we pay more attention to the good things happening in our lives…how can we be depressed or sad?  There is always something to be thankful and grateful for!  We are blessed more than we know…:)

Whenever I find myself in a funky mood, I do this little exercise that really helps to lift my spirits and bring me back to a joyful state.  I simply make a list of 5 to 10 things that I'm grateful for.  This helps me to keep things in perspective and appreciate my life…no matter what the circumstances.

Love simply is when we know who we are.  When we truly know who we are, we know that we are all one.  I am you and you are me.  When we truly treat each other as the spiritual beings that we are…we find that there's a lot more kindness to go around.  We find it easier to let things go, to have compassion, to be respectful, to have integrity, to be giving, and to be forgiving.  We find it easy to do unto others as we would want done to us.  Because, in all actually…those "others" ARE us.  We are all one, we all originate from love and we all are love.  No matter how dirty, wrong, or sinful the world may label some…we ALL deserve to be loved. 

Patience is a virtue.  This is one that I'm really working on…lol.  Some people seem to be born patient.  While others want what they want, when they want it, and they want it NOW.  I'm learning, however, that when I allow things to happen in their own time, it's usually a lot better than when I rush them.  In fact, when I'm patient, I find that my experiences EXCEED my expectations. 

You know what they say…good things come to those who wait.  It's kinda like waiting for a cake to bake in the oven.  You can bake it at the appropriate temperature for the appropriate time.  Or, you can rush it, and turn up the heat to make it bake faster.  That rarely works, right?  I'd rather have a nicely baked cake than to have one that is half good and half gooey.  And, if you're really patient, you can have some yummy icing on top!!  ;-)

 

10/29/2008

Who Moved My Cheese???

Posted by Tiko under Gratitude, Just Me, Self-Empowerment
[2] Comments 

Cheese

 image by JasonRogers

When I first decided I wanted to move away…far, far away…from Michigan, I was trying to decide between three places.  Those places were New York, DC, or Atlanta.  I have a list of reasons why I love each…but a year ago, I decided upon Atlanta because of the undeniable go-get-em energy, the opportunity to further my music career, the wonderfully warmer weather, and the temptation of a possible love…;-)  Yet, and still, DC was still in the back of my mind, and NY wasn't too far behind it.

So…I guess I was subconsciously playing with the Law of Attraction last year because now I get to experience the best of all three worlds…all at the same time…yippee for me!!  My job has moved me out to the metro DC area for the next 2-4 months.  I'm just a hop, skip, and a jump away from New York, so I can definitely visit on the weekends.  And, I still reside in, and can fly back at my leisure to, Atlanta.

I must admit, at first I was caught by surprise…I was only given 4 days notice.  I was sooo tempted to complain a little.  I had to quickly decide what to do with my two little babies, Rocko and Precious.  I had to quickly get all my affairs in order.  And then, I had to prepare to enter a long distance love affair (I thought I was done with those…lol…).  

But, I know that when the Universe moves my cheese, there's usually a very good reason.  When the Universe moves my cheese, I know that all the travel arrangements have already been made, everything is already in order.  There is nothing to worry about, nothing to do…expect sit back, relax, and go with the flow.  I'm excited to see what is in store for me.  This is an awesome experience and opportunity!  I'm blessed…yes!!

Has the Universe moved your cheese?  In what ways are you thankful and grateful for your new beginning??? 

 

10/21/2008

Got Thanks???

Posted by Tiko under Gratitude
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Gratitude image by Shayan (USA)

I was watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta the other day.  It was the episode where one of the mothers was throwing a birthday extravaganza for her preteen daughter.  She mentioned that the event cost her $18,000, and then later expressed her disappointment that her daughter didn't seem grateful.  I must admit…at first I was like, see…she's ungrateful because you're doing too much for her.  But, I caught myself…how often are WE ungrateful on a daily basis?

Anytime we open our mouths to complain, we're being ungrateful.  Anytime we're not in a state of peace, love, or joy…we're being ungrateful.  For, there is ALWAYS something to be happy about.  There is ALWAYS something praiseworthy in our lives.  No matter how hard things may be, there is always, ALWAYS something to be thankful for. 

Being grateful really helps to put things into perspective.  When we're truly grateful…how can we be upset?  When grateful, common perceived nuisances simply roll off our back.  Being in a state of gratitude shows God that we appreciate our blessings, no matter how small we may think they are.  And when we show appreciation for the little things…we show that we will also appreciate the big things.  Not appreciating is in fact stunting our growth because it is an expression of a belief in lack.  And, where there is lack, abundance cannot reside!

I started to complain yesterday about how much I hate to clean the kitchen after I cook.  It's such a pain, right?  But, I quickly checked myself.  I have beautiful plates that I love.  I have wonderful pots and pans that I love (got em from Macy's :) :) )  I have a beautiful kitchen.  I'm so thankful for all these things.  And, I'm also thankful for the people that worked to make it all the things that I enjoy.  I'm thankful that I'm blessed to be able to have these things.  I'm thankful that I have food to even prepare for dinner.  I'm thankful that it was yummy!  I'm thankful for the farmers that worked hard to provide this food that I just ate.  I could keep going, but I think you get the point. 

I was then able to wash the dishes with a smile…because I was grateful…for the little things.  This is my goal for this week.  When I start to complain, I'll catch myself and focus on being grateful instead.  What are you grateful for?