The Transformatting Gift Of Gratitude

Aloha,

I'm Rev.

Cindy Paulus and I wanted to talk today about one of the most wonderful gifts you can have.

It's a gift of appreciation.

Somehow we get numb.

We get numb to how blessed we really are in life.

We kind of take for granted our basic way of operating,

What we have,

What we can do,

And all the things that come with that,

Right?

But I hope it isn't to the point where finally you might lose what you have till you realize how blessed you were to have all of that stuff.

Now there's been a lot of changes in time.

We've certainly have seen changes in the economy and what it costs to live in places,

Etc.

The cost of living has gone way up along with many other things.

Definitely the cost of food has gone up.

There's no doubt about that.

So we start to get concerned about the things that have kind of taken away or cost more or limit us in some ways and then we can let that bring us down rather than choosing to realize how amazing it is that we have what we have.

Now if you've traveled to third world countries,

If you've traveled to places where they don't have what you probably have,

You become aware very quickly of how amazingly blessed we are.

I've gone to places such as that,

Tibet and India,

And certainly to places and other places of the world where they just don't have the kind of wealth that we have and they can't afford the kind of cars that we have and they can't afford,

Well if they have a car at all,

A lot of places don't.

They just can't even quite imagine having everything that we have and living in the places that we live,

You know,

And what we've got.

And yet we have all of this stuff and we take it for granted.

We just,

I'll assume it's gonna be there and we can use it and we want more and more and more,

You know,

It's human nature to want more.

But there's a great,

Great gift in appreciating and being grateful for all the things that you do have.

And it's so nice to allow these blessings that you have in your life,

That you take for granted,

To be recognized.

I know it's,

We're busy always.

It seems like we're,

As much time as you have,

You'll fill that time with things to do.

It's amazing how that works,

Right?

And sometimes you'll take a day off and you might even take a Sunday off,

Let that be a day of rest too.

It's nice to be able to do that,

Right?

But the thing is that we always expect to have all of these things at our fingertips that we have.

And again,

It's not until we travel to places where you cannot get all the things that you expect to get easily that you start to realize how amazing all the stuff you have is.

You know,

There are places where it's very hard to get TVs and get reception and get the sound of audio and all those things that we take for granted going.

So it's nice to be able to appreciate those stuff,

That stuff that we take for granted before we lose it.

And it could happen at any time.

Anyone's seen what's going on in the world with fires and situations where there's been more tragedies and crisis because of the changing weather patterns starts to realize that,

Gosh,

Everything could go away at any time.

And it could happen very quickly,

You know.

So it's really interesting how we have to be aware and grateful for what we've got while we've got it.

It does take stopping sometimes and taking a few moments to just be quiet and remember and recognize everything that you've got in your life,

Your family,

Your friends,

Your home,

Your car,

Whatever it might be,

You know,

Your pet.

All of those things are really amazing blessings that we can often take for granted.

So let's take a moment and just count our blessings.

I love that song,

Go to Sleep Counting Your Blessings.

If you know that song,

Counting Your Blessings,

It's a great song.

We can count our blessings and we can take a moment to really be grateful for what we do have in our life.

So let's just clear space in our mind.

Let's just clear that time,

That energy,

That attitude of gratitude can grow in and be recognized in and be taken to that place where you're very,

Very,

Very happy to have all the things that you've got.

And that takes some breathing space,

You know,

Just breathing in and breathing out and just clearing,

Clearing the mind as we do with each breath and the breath sweeps mind.

And you breathe in and you just kind of make space and make room for being quiet and letting that mind open up a little wider with each breath,

Releasing anything that might be distracting you.

Just being comfortable in your beautiful dwelling place,

Breathing in and breathing out.

And as we breathe,

You get quiet and you notice anything going on,

Of course,

In your mind,

In your body.

And you just breathe through it,

Just recognize what's going on and go,

Okay.

I take it to the next level where you can stop and take a few moments to be grateful for all of your blessings.

It might help to start with your family and just be grateful for that in your life.

Be grateful for what you were given growing up,

Your education,

What you were able to do with the love of your family and friends,

How you were able to have a great foundation.

I'm grateful for being able to learn how to meditate at a very young age and have that as part of my life,

Change my life.

If it will,

You know.

I'm grateful for my loved ones,

Of course.

Think of any friends you might have for a long,

Long time in your life and just be grateful for those friendships that have stuck with you through the years.

And then think of all the things that you have in your home.

Could be your computer,

Audio systems,

Your iPhones.

Think of all the electronics you have for TV.

Think of how many things that you've got that are miraculous in some places in the world they do not have.

Just think how blessed you are to have all of these wonderful devices that you can have and take for granted off and right.

Just be grateful for all of that.

Make more room in your gratitude and your attitude of gratitude now.

For all of those who have taught you lessons in your life,

Think of all the teachers,

Schools,

Books,

And people who have taught you valuable lessons.

Just be grateful for all of the lessons that you've learned in your life.

What a wonderful thing.

We're here to learn,

You know.

We really have to appreciate all the wonderful gifts we've learned.

Some of them are hard lessons.

Some are hard lessons.

But they're still a gift.

If you learn and you grow,

They're a gift.

So be grateful for all of those.

And be grateful now for the beauty of nature.

Be grateful for that wonderful gift of the sun and the stars and the moon and the beautiful,

Beautiful trees and the oceans and the waters and the rivers.

Just be grateful for all the beauty of nature.

Let it fill your heart,

That beautiful,

Beautiful gift of nature.

I love nature.

I love seeing and being in nature.

And if you do anything in the spiritual field,

Like yoga,

You know,

If you do anything that you do in meditation,

Just be grateful for all these spiritual gifts that you're given.

Probably a lot of them for free.

What a gift that is,

Huh?

Hmm.

There's so much to be grateful for.

I'm gonna open a door here where you can choose things that you're grateful for in your life.

Just take a few moments and be grateful.

This gratitude is like a healing force.

This gratitude is an opening field of energy that is so full of positive,

Positive energy that it can actually eliminate any kind of negative energy you might have been experiencing at some point.

So just let that gratefulness fill your mind and your body.

Ah,

Each breath,

A breath of gratitude to develop that attitude of gratitude in your life.

Think of how it can make you so,

So happy.

I'm grateful for you being there.

I'm grateful for you listening.

I'm grateful for that wonderful energy field where we can share what we're sharing together here right now.

I bow in deep gratitude to you.

Thank you so much for listening.