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Gratitude

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„You cannot mention abundance without also mentioning gratitude. Gratitude stems from abundance. On the other hand, ungratefulness and resentment stem from unworthiness and reinforce the perception of scarcity. Each is a closed circle. 

To enter the circle of grace, you need to bring love to yourself or another. To enter the circle of fear, you need to withhold love from yourself or another. 

When you stand inside of one circle, the reality of the other circle comes into question. This is why you often have the sense that there are two mutually exclusive worlds in your experience. 

The grateful cannot imagine being unjustly treated. The resentful cannot imagine being loved by God. Which world would you inhabit? It is your choice.

In every moment you must decide to play the victim or remember that you cannot be unfairly treated. In the former case, you will resent the gift and see it as a punishment; in the latter, you will accept what comes your way knowing that it brings a blessing you cannot yet see.

Gratitude is the choice to see the love of God in all things. No being can be miserable who chooses thus. For the choice to appreciate leads to happiness as surely as the choice to depreciate leads to unhappiness and despair.

One gesture supports and uplifts. The other devalues and tears down.

How you choose to respond to life shapes your own continued perception. If you are living in despair, it is because you are choosing to depreciate the gifts that have been given you.

Each person who walks the earth reaps the results of the thoughts he has sown. And if he would change the nature of next year’s harvest, he must change the thoughts he is thinking now.

Think a single grateful thought and you will see how true this simple statement it. The next time you are about to depreciate a gift that is given you pause a moment and open your heart to receive that gift with gratitude. 

Then notice how your experience of the fight and relationship with the giver is transformed.

The next time you are poised to judge or condemn another, pause a moment and let that person into your heart. Bless where you would condemn. Judge not and be glad that you have not judged. Feel the release that comes to you when you let another be free of your narrow perceptions.

When I said to turn the other cheek, I instructed you to demonstrate to your brother that he could not hurt you. If he cannot hurt you, he cannot be guilty for his attack on you. And if he is not guilty, then he does not have to punish himself.

When you turn your cheek, you are not inviting your brother to hit you again. You are reminding him that there is no injury. You are telling him that you know that you cannot be unfairly treated. You are demonstrating to him your refusal to accept attack, for you know you are worthy and lovable in that moment. And knowing your worthiness, you cannot fail to see his. 

The violations and trespasses of this world will end when you refuse to be a victim or a victimizer. Then you will step out of the circle of fear and all that you do and say will be filled with grace. This you will each experience. 

Christ will be born in you as It was in me. But first you must set aside all unworthiness, all scarcity thinking, all resentment, all need to attack or defend. First, you must learn to turn the other cheek.

It seems that there are two worlds, but truly there is only one. Fear is but the lack of love. Scarcity is but the lack of abundance. Resentment is but the lack of gratitude.

Something cannot be lacking unless it was first present in abundance.

Without presence, absence has no meaning. This is like a game of hide and seek. Someone has to hide first. Who will it be? Will it be you or me? Perhaps it will be the Creator Himself. In truth, it matter not. When it is your turn, you will hide, and your brother will find you, as I found him. Every one gets a turn to hide and everyone eventually is found.

The world of duality emanates from wholeness and to wholeness returns. What is joined separates and comes together again. This is a simple dance. It need not be fearful. 

I invite you to enter the dance without taking yourself too seriously. None of you are professional dancers. But every one of you is capable of learning the steps. When you step on someone else’s toe, a simple “sorry” will do fine. You’re all learning at the same time and mistakes are to be expected.” 

Source – Love without conditions – Paul Ferrini 

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