The Magnitude of Gratitude
Living with Spiritual Elegance
During Matthew McConaughey's acceptance speech at this year's Oscars, he made an interesting observation: "It's scientifically proven, "he beamed from the podium, "that gratitude reciprocates". The Oscars are all about giving thanks and acknowledging others. Easy, it may seem, for McConaughey to extol the virtues of being grateful from his exalted position. But we all know people who appear to "have it all" and are perpetually dissatisfied. And what about others who are dealing with great difficulty and have a sunny outlook? In my experience as a Wellness Coach people are either "glass half full" or "glass half empty" personalities. Either optimistic in their general outlook or pessimistic. Circumstance is not the determining factor, something else is at play.
The deceptively simple image of the glass elegantly illustrates the philosophical chasm between opposing world views. And this is no frivolous matter. Which view we adopt (and it is a choice) affects everything. Change your mindset and you change your surroundings. Being grateful for what we have affirms that there are good things outside of ourselves that come to us: The world is a benevolent place providing us with what we need. Considering that what we pay attention to increases, focussing on what is missing attracts more of what is missing: The subliminal message being, the world is a hostile place determined to trip us up.
Being in the reciprocal flow of gratitude is quite simply better for us! Feeling nurtured by a benevolent world is a great stress reliever. The less stress we have the healthier we are in mind, body and spirit. And it's a great tool for strengthening relationships and communities: People are always drawn to a positive vibe.
The Berkshires provide the perfect place to practice our gratitude skills: It's almost impossible not to feel blessed, embraced as we are by the beauty and bounty of our special surroundings. Tonight when you lay your head on your pillow, count blessings not sheep - although in The Berkshire the spring lambs might serve you just as well!