Days of Gratitude

By Gratitude Girl Vanessa Lowry

“Life is a series of choices. Choose to be happy. Choose to live your dream. Choose to live in the present moment. Choose to love with all your heart.” ~Bevin Lynch

“Gratitude is the antidote to a shitty day.” ~Wendy Watkins

I’ve been reminded this week that I have the choice over what I think and what I focus upon. When my friend calls me and is sad, I can be sad with her, or I can help her see the silver lining to the situation. When the person in front of me in the grocery story has a full shopping cart in the 12 item lane, I can be upset or I can send the few extra minutes taking three focused breaths and bless the time of stillness. When it takes me 20 minutes to go 1.5 miles from my house to get onto GA 400, I can rage at the Atlanta traffic or I release tension by toning OM until the space between the cars opens up.

I’ve recently started learning about the spiritual practice of Ho’oponopono. The simple explanation is that it is an ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. It involves accepting responsibility for anything that comes into your experience that feels negative in any way and releasing it with these four phrases: I’m sorry; Please forgive me; Thank you; I love you.

I had a situation with a client where she decided to terminate our agreement. It came as a surprise me as she had been indicating she was pleased with my work until a few days before. I process things by journaling and decided to shift my energy around this by writing about it using the four phrases of Ho’oponopono. Here is one version I wrote in my journal about this experience.

“I forgive my client for firing me and forgive myself for the insecure feelings that evokes within me. I’m sorry for being defensive and feeling inadequate. Thank you that I have the opportunity to tell a different story and to recognize the powerful, creative, talented connector that I am. I love this every expanding part of my heart that allows in exactly the type of people I want in my life and the financial abundance to do all that I want.”

I wrote several versions, one right after another, examining the varied feelings this experience brought up and shifting the energy of it. It helped me look at “this reality” from a different perspective and realize there were ways for me to feel grateful for this experience although it didn’t feel good in the moment.

Choosing to make a shift, a moment at a time, changes the energy you are standing within. And this moment is the only place you have any power anyway. Use your power to choose gratitude. Thank you. I love you!