Live a Life of Gratitude

When things go wrong people tend to fall into "worse case scenario" thinking, allowing the thoughts to overwhelm them and bring them down. It can be really hard to stop the process when you're in it but the more you practice controlling your thoughts and mind the easier it becomes to catch and stop the process. When you can slow down the thinking you can start to reverse the thinking. It isn't always easy but it's better than slipping down into a depression. I encourage you to start a daily meditation practice to make the process so much easier.

I recently had an experience when I could have let my thoughts go in that direction. I felt the sorrow, despair and worry start to find its home in my thoughts. But as soon as I caught the thoughts heading in that direction and felt the triggers in my body physically I was able to stop and redirect them. So the best way to help you find when your thoughts are dragging you down is to pay attention to your body. You know how fear and worry make you feel inside; if you don't, then it's time to get familiar. The tightness in your stomach, the ache in your chest and anxiety pulsing through your limbs, those are your warnings. 

So when you feel the triggers start, that's the time to take a deep breath and step back from the thoughts in your mind. Try to detach from the string of worries running through your mind and ask yourself "why am I having these thoughts?", ask yourself "do I want to continue these thoughts knowing how it makes me feel?" If your answer is yes, then have at it...it's not an instant turn around and sometimes people want or need to feel it before letting it go, and that's ok. But if your answer is no, then get ready to turn those thoughts off and around. 

The best way I know of to heal a hurting heart or to calm worry and fear, is to replace the hurt with gratitude. I won't say it's easy but when you choose to not feel the way you are anymore, you have to release the feelings. Try to take a few deep breathes to calm and cleanse the body, then start to find things in your life that are so wonderful, you can't help but be grateful for them. It can be something from your past or something you may be in the middle of experiencing. Find those things and be thankful for them, let that feeling of gratitude fill you up and spread through your body. 

I know I'm thankful for my life, my husband, my family, our health and all the gifts and accomplishments God has given me along the way. I'm thankful for finding my spiritual path that has taken my life to a whole new level of joy and gratitude. I'm thankful for the peace I can find inside of me at any moment, and I'm thankful to my younger self for making the choice to cultivate that stillness within me and hone the tools God has given me. I want to help everyone find that peace and comfort within. So start with finding gratitude and when you're ready start meditating and open yourself up to the miracles God is waiting to give you, including the ability to find peace in the chaos.