There are times when we all have the “woe is me” mentality. My house is not big enough, my children are not good enough, my partner is not attentive enough, my job is not satisfying enough. Somehow it’s easy to see that glass half empty. The moment we complain, we are overlooking some really important and wonderful parts of our lives.
Your home may not be as big as you’d like, but HAVING a home is something to be thankful for, especially in this tough economy. Your children may not always behave as well as you would like, but there are many people who would give anything to have a child, so how lucky are you? Is your partner not attentive enough? Has it ever occurred to you to be grateful that you have a partner who cares about you and that you don’t have to deal with life’s ups and downs alone? So your job isn’t exactly what you’d like it to be. In a time of mass layoffs and people going hungry or losing their homes because they no longer have a paycheck, you DO! Be thankful for that.
You see where I’m going with this. Instead of complaining about what you don’t have and how flawed your life is, how about working on appreciating what you DO have? I REALLY appreciate it! Even better, how about learning to look for all the little gifts that life gives us and realizing how precious they are?
Life gives us gifts every day, but if you don’t look for them and don’t recognize them as gifts, you are missing out.
I have found that for me personally, small gifts never have anything to do with money or prosperity or anything like that. The gifts are smaller and more subtle. There is nothing I love more than waking up to the sound of birds singing right outside my bedroom window. I can’t bring that beautiful bird song to the bank, but I can certainly appreciate how much it makes my day.
Another little treat that I love is the sound of raindrops on my roof. There is something deeply soothing about the sound, something that makes me look forward to those rainy days like never before.
I have learned to recognize many gifts in my life, and recognizing them as gifts improves the quality of my life. I have three pampered and wonderful cats that I adore. Having one of them climb on my lap and look at me adoringly is always a gift. I live far away from my family, so a phone call from my son or sister is also always a gift. A dinner with an old and precious friend, an unexpected card, letter or package, a time in the bookstore with my daughter, who thinks like me and believes that the bookstore is a perfect place to be. So many presents that I’m really glad I didn’t stop noticing it.
If you find that you have trouble seeing the gifts in your own life, perhaps the following tapping script will help.
Tapping script for developing an attitude of gratitude
Setup Phrases – Karate Chop:
Eyebrow: I don’t always notice the good things in my life.
outer eye: Even if they’re right in front of my eyes
under eye: I don’t always realize how much I have to be thankful for
under the nose: But I always notice things to complain about.
Porcelain: Wouldn’t it be nice if I recognized all those good things?
Clavicle: Maybe it’s time to start looking at life with new eyes
Under the arm: So I can see all the gifts that come my way
The top of the head: And appreciate each one of them!
Eyebrow: There are miracles happening around me everyday
outer eye: If only I opened their eyes
under eye: If the sun shines and the birds sing
under the nose: Those are miracles worth acknowledging.
Porcelain: If I have a roof over my head and food in my stomach
Clavicle: That’s a lot to be thankful for
Under the arm: The people around me who care about me are an incredible gift.
The top of the head: I am so happy to be seeing all the gifts in my life.
Eyebrow: I really have a lot to be thankful for
outer eye: And I feel so much better now that I’ve recognized that
under eye: I feel more and more grateful for the blessings in my life.
under the nose: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the people around me.
Porcelain: So thankful for the blue sky, fluffy white clouds, and bright sun.
Clavicle: So happy to face each day with a smile instead of a frown.
Under the arm: I have made a decision in my life
The top of the head: And I choose an attitude of gratitude for all my blessings.