Empowered by Gratitude
Gratitude?
A new day, a new start
Image from aquabumps.com
“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”
― L.M. Montgomery
Did you wake up this morning?
That’s something to have gratitude for. Many didn’t. What does waking up each morning mean?
When you wake up each morning, or whatever time you wake up, it means you have another chance to start life all over again. Now I know that some people are locked into a pattern which is not easy to break free of, and I’m thinking here of people in chronic pain, people who are on minimum wage and who know that finding a better paid job won’t be easy, and so many more people who have life challenges to face.
But you woke up, didn’t you? That’s the first step towards a new life, a life change if you wish, but regardless of how you look at it, your life starts again the moment you wake up each day and that’s something to show #gratitude for. You got another chance to start over.
What can you do with a new day?
Perhaps you can’t change everything in your life all in the next day, this new day you have given to you. But you can change something if you need to, want to, or HAVE to! Start small, with the single thing that will make the most difference if you change it. A habit? A thought? Something you don’t do, but perhaps should? Something, anything, but if your life is not exactly where you want it to be right now, at this time of your life, start making changes, little ones, to gently steer your life in the direction you need it to go. Then show some gratitude, say a little “thank you” that you can do even this much.
How do you know if the change is the right one?
In a way, it doesn’t matter. It’s the stagnation that is the death of a life. Sometimes, any movement is better than none, but once you make a start, get some movement, you can steer from there. It’s very hard to steer your car when it’s parked at the kerb. You need to be moving, any direction at all, before you can steer it. So start moving. And show gratitude that you can actually move a little. A little “Thank you” for the ability to move.
Image from http://innerdelight.com/thriving-in-times-of-change/
Gain some momentum.
Once you are moving, after your feet hit the floor, you started to move, you turned in the right direction, you got a little speed up. Perhaps not much, but a little. This is called momentum and there is power in momentum. The weight of your movement, the mass of you moving along has a force. Use it to shift other bigger things. Point it towards obstacles, tack on another change or two and use your momentum to carry you through. Old train drivers called this “getting up a head of steam” and there you go, you have momentum. You are moving, steering, gaining power with your momentum and making more changes. There’s something more to show #gratitude for, a little “thank you” for the momentum.
A head of steam!
Image from burnham-on-sea.com
This is called changing your life, a step at a time. It’s simple, but not always easy, and much depends on where you are starting from, whether at the top of the slope, or the bottom.
“It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Read more at http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-quotes-to-change-your-momentum/#GZhkeeqdED5smDXI.99
Read more at http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-quotes-to-change-your-momentum/#GZhkeeqdED5smDXI.99
Read more at http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-quotes-to-change-your-momentum/#GZhkeeqdED5smDXI.99
Sometimes you need a hand.
Look around you. How many people are there in your life? How many of them do you think are feeling the same way each day, facing challenges and wondering how to make it? There are a few, feeling just like you, and some feeling very challenged also, much more than you. My Dad told me something that has stuck with me, when I was around 7 years of age and walking out on a frosty morning to milk the two old milking cows. I complained about the cold frost on my boots and he said “I cried when I had no shoes, til I saw a man who had no feet!” I didn’t realise he was quoting the old Sufi proverb but it didn’t matter. I gladly walked down to the cow-bail, in gratitude for my boots.
There are many people who would like a hand, and many who would like to help you. More than you realise. Sometimes though, you need to take the first step on your own, to demonstrate to others that you are serious about the changes.
Show some gratitude!
After all, you DID wake up this morning, didn’t you?
If you feel gratitude for the lessons I hope I have presented to your here, please reblog and share this post with your friends, family and associates. Share your journey with them. Everyone deserves an opportunity to look at their new day with fresh eyes and feel gratitude just for having the chance to start again, this new day.
Til next time, fair winds and full sails.
Ray Jamieson
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Melody Beattie
By the way, if you are looking for some inspiration on how to make the most of your new day, please also refer to my other posts below on Empowerment: There might be something of special interest for you here.
Integrity, Spirituality and Empowerment
Empowerment through Emotional Intelligence