Gratitude. Good for the Soul. Good For the Whole Person. By Chris Wheeler
I am grateful because I cultivate gratitude.
Gratitude can be the pathway to stability in my outlook on life.
Biologically our brains focus on contrast and possible negative consequences because our primal selves want survival. Negativity is a natural tendency that very often can end in despair.
Gratitude helps me focus on the things and situations that contribute to my well-being.
Consciously we are aware of less than .01% of the sensory cells being activated each second. Normally this is a good thing – if we were suddenly aware of all of the different things touching our body, smells reaching our nose, tastes lingering on our tongue, sounds hitting our eardrums and light-rays entering our eyes all at once, we would go into overload and be unable to focus.
Sometimes it’s good to suspend the filter and increase awareness.
The next time you are eating delicious food, take a moment to close your eyes, focus on the pleasant sensations being generated in your mouth, and be grateful for 1) your tongue, 2) the food or both. Doing this not only makes me grateful and happy – it makes my food taste much better.
The next time you are listening to a favorite song, focus on the beautiful combination of sounds, and be grateful for 1) your ears, 2) the music, or both. Remember the emotions you experienced the first few times you listened to a favorite song? This can help you reclaim that initial joy.
The scope of gratitude can expand exponentially.
I have placed “Gratitude Rain Showers” on my to-do list because it gives me the opportunity to practice gratitude as free flowing consciousness. This once-a-month event (the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:30 on CSLT Zoom channel, email office for Zoom information) is a great way to start regular practice of listing gratitudes.
Nurturing a heart that is full of gratitude I find it easier to interpret my world as a place of unlimited potential and good. I prefer to live in the world I intend to live in rather than a world of pessimism.
God created ALL Things. Who am I to judge God’s results.
–Chris Wheeler