A Powerful Behavior That Could Be A Game-Changer

Change is a constant part of life.  I don't think anyone would disagree with that statement.  And - there are some who embrace change and there are some who will run far, far away from change.

It's funny but I really thought that the more I grew in my spiritual practice, the more things in my life would change.  Instead, what I've seen is that the changes I've been experiencing have been small.  In fact, over the past year, I've had very little change.

Is it that my spiritual foundation is so strong now that I simply move through the changes and barely notice them?  I find that hard to believe.

I can SEE fabulous opportunities for change.  Who wouldn't like more money in their bank account or to lose a little more weight or to have a better relationship with their family.

And it's NOT that I'm unhappy that I haven't been inundated with changes.  But I believe that change is a great opportunity to explore thoughts and feelings that I often didn't even realize I had.  It's a way to meet a new part of myself that had been under wraps.   It creates a space for some spring cleaning for my soul.

So has my personal growth stalled?  If there's no change, how am I supposed to pull out my creative ways of dealing with it?  (Wow, I think I'm coming full circle on my thoughts from a few weeks ago about hitting a ceiling in my spiritual growth.)

What I can FEEL is that there is some change bubbling up from within me.  For me, that feeling reminds me to deepen my connection to the Divine.  Maybe this time of little change is a nudge to keep building on that connection, to really fall in love with Spirit.

There was a song playing on the radio recently and it's a more "Christian" type of song but it beautifully stated what I'm coming to believe about my relationship with the Universe.

"it's gotta be/ more like falling in love/ 

than something to believe in/ 

more like losing my heart/ 

than giving my allegiance"

Now there is a thought to contemplate  - falling in love with the Divine.  

Dr. Patrick Cameron said recently that "Gratitude is one of the key spiritual practices for transformation, because gratitude shifts us into a greater alignment with Source...it is a pathway to greater love."  And, I have to admit that, while I am certainly grateful for things occasionally, I've been hit or miss including this as part of my regular practice.

So, as I seek to take my relationship with Spirit even deeper, gratitude will be essential.  As part of the daily intention and affirmation practice I have been working on, I'm adding a gratitude list as a way to finish it off.  Six things to be grateful for every day and, as much as possible, they have to be different from the day before.

Demonstrating gratitude will bring more things into our lives to be grateful for.

Gratitude is a powerful behavior that could be a game-changer in my life.  So, as a good friend of mine likes to tell me, I say BRING IT ON!  Oh, and don't forget to breathe....

What are some things YOU are grateful for?  Do you have a gratitude practice?

Today, I set my intention to transform my life through the practice of gratitude, knowing I will move through any changes with ease and with grace and uncover abundance in everything as a result.

"And because all things have contributed to your advancement, 

you should include all things in your gratitude." 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Your lamp was lit from another lamp.  

All God wants is your gratitude for that.  

~Rumi

Affirmative Prayer:
Hearing the birds sing and the breeze gently move through the wind chimes, there is a recognition of Oneness with all of creation.  And in this Oneness, there is Creative Intelligence that reveals beauty, uncovers wisdom and transforms dreams into reality.

This Creative Intelligence flows through me, seeking to express in new and greater ways as me.  Leaning into this knowledge, I allow joy to surround me and courage to move my feet, excited for the good that flows from embracing this truth.

As I am inspired to step up my practice of gratitude, I accept that abundance and prosperity in all areas of my life will unfold in amazing ways.  Relationships that are loving and kind are revealed as I express gratitude for my current relationships.  And I celebrate my increasing good health as I say Thank You for my current ability to walk and run and dance with a strong heart and lungs filled with life-giving oxygen.  I affirm that I am a better person as I express gratitude to others and gladly help them with a gracious attitude of service.  I love being in love with Life!

I am so grateful for this feeling of excitement that is expressed as my ever-increasing abundance and prosperity are realized.    And I am thankful for the big and the small opportunities that allow me to practice the art of gratitude in my life.  I am filled with gratitude for the blessings that are showered upon me as I stay in this feeling place of thankfulness.

Reveling in the awareness that my life is good, I release my Word to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing it is already done.  I am fully available to what is next.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.