As we move into the holiday season and a time of gift giving, it’s also the ideal time to explore what it means to receive and how to do this with more intentionality.
With that in mind, I’m going to dive deeply into the concept of receiving and how- especially for those of us (givers) for whom that is difficult- we can allow ourselves to experience even more of it!
If you’re wondering why this is important, let me clarify.
In truth, receiving IS the entire game. What I mean is that God/the universe/universal mind/conscious awareness- or however you think about higher self/spirit is ALWAYS trying to give us more love, goodness, support and help.
I don’t need to tell you that the world situation is, to quote Tom Robbins, “desperate as usual.”
In truth, it feels even worse than usual as systems and structures collapse all around us.
Not to be morbid…but the rate of change is too fast! None of us can keep up, not with technology, with AI, with the news cycle, none of it.
Our nervous systems are simply unequipped to manage this level of change/ chaos/however you define it.
Part of why the rate of change continues to increase, is because we’re in what mystics are calling a “celestial speedup.”
Last blog I shared a meditation/prayer practice with you called the centering prayer. If you missed it, here’s a link to the post.
As a quick review, here’s the basic idea:
1. Choose a word (or phrase) to focus on during your meditation.
2. Ensure that you’re sitting comfortably with your eyes closed.
Begin repeating the word or phrase silently to yourself over and over again slowly. Deepen into the phrase, slowly and intentionally, giving your thought-mind something to focus on. If your phrase is: “I rest in God,” begin by saying that phrase. Eventually it may become “I rest,” or “God” that gets repeated as you slow down and deepen into the words.
Today I have a cool meditation/prayer for you.
It’s called the Centering Prayer.
The Christian contemplative, Cynthia Bourgeault, has written extensively about this practice and teaches this technique around the world! It’s a way of praying that allows us to loosen our minds from thought and enter that transcendental space that can often feel elusive.
She shares that this practice was popularized by Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist priest. He was one of the first people to promote the Centering Prayer which is based on a 14th century Christian mystical text called The Cloud of Unknowing.
Ready for the final installment about using gratitude to live the life you’ve come here to have?
Let’s do a quick review first.
First we covered exploring gratitude as a REACTION. In other words, cultivating gratitude for what you have in your life right now. Are you still doing your list every day?
Second, we dove into the idea of adopting a PHILOSOPHY of gratitude. The invitation being to experience life through the lens of gratitude.
Today we’re going to the deepest level, IDENTITY.
Last week we explored the basic definition of gratitude and how to cultivate an attitude of appreciation. Today let’s dive into what life might look like if you adopted a PHILOSOPHY of gratitude.
It isn’t just about a response to what you have in your life right now. It's taking gratitude to the next level and applying it directly to your life!
It’s choosing to be grateful that you are alive.
I used to fight all the time.
Not physical altercations. Mine was more internal.
I fought against the injustices of the world, the ways that institutions and people were hurting others…
I was one of those kids who would say, “it’s not fair!”
At some point, I stopped fighting. It was SO tiring!
What I began to do instead, was accept.
Accept myself.
Accept others.
Accept the world. (Ugh, I know that sounds hard, bear with me.)
