Gratitude... - Superblessed and Loved

19/11/2014

The Absolute Key to Happiness!

How to start after such a long, long time of wanting to write this?

I have to open up my journal to find a starting point and I do… starting with the Journal… first I have to say what this particular journal looks like, as I have two, both given to me by two of my best beautiful friends, Lena and Dana. Yes, I am truly superblessed with so many beautiful friends who love me and as a result, I receive the most amazing presents always.

The inscription in one of my journals:

‘With deep Love, Lena xxx’

I will always treasure her as I have learned so much, because of her and she will be a part of me and have space in my heart forever.

To get back to this; my extremely perfect in every way ‘hardcover journal’, emerald green, is one of my favourite colours. The cover filled up of peacock feathers and even on every fantastic gold-trimmed page there is another picture of three peacock feathers. This is such a profound and perfect present for me as you would know if you have read my book published in 2010 “Bury the Past, Unlock the Future”.

Also the fact of there being three feathers on each page, as I have found over the years that everything I need to learn as a lesson, always come to me in signs of three. This is why it is so important to get into the flow and know how superblessed we are.

“The Present is always changing the Past.” – Lao Tzu

Feathers have a very specific meaning for me as it is my sign for reminding me how superblessed I am. Only recently, I was told by someone quite special to me, about the fact which some of you probably already know – the fact that feathers, many moons ago, were not soft, but very hard indeed and only through the process of evolution became this soft preciousness that we regard as a feather in present time. This new-found truth makes me feel even more blessed than ever, because I know, that I too, were very ‘hard’ indeed, and over so many years, only now regard myself as ‘soft’.

When I turn the page, I find a picture representing the ‘flower of life’. I remember when I was given this, yet another present. It was on a beautiful sunny day and actually I have a date, because of it being written in my Journal, 8/01/2014.

… having a gratitude journal, we see how, when we start to write down our blessings, more and more will evidently appear… I promise you this as I am the best example and I do not make light of a promise…

I was blessed to be sitting with friends and sharing the wisdom from a book I had just started reading: “The Surfer, the Saint and the CEO”. As I was reading passages from this incredibly well-written book, John, a young man and a friend of a very close friend, June, was drawing this well thought out picture; and only viewing it now today again, do I actually comprehend the full value of it. This just shows once again how connected we really are.

He was drawing an image of the flower of life. Depicted on this were even smaller pictures – the Tree of Life with roots growing into Mother Earth. All our senses were also being illustrated, Eye for sight, Ear to listen, Mouth to speak the truth, Nose to smell; and Touch illustrated by a hand.

(How amazing is the human body; so perfectly created!)

To balance this drawing out even more, he also had all the major chakra colours added on this beautiful picture.

All the while as I was sharing my reading to my friends from this book, John was passionately drawing and when he was finished with this; he proceeded to present it to me as a gift. This surprising gesture meant so much to me and I promptly decided to remember this peaceful moment in time by pasting it into my Journal.

Only now after almost a year has gone by, I noticed all the finer detail which I shared with you now. In this past year only have I become more aware of how connected we truly are and I have so much gratitude for this awareness!

And it is all because “gratitude” has become a part of my everyday life.

Happiness follows Gratitude… for sure…

How do we change our mindset to let gratitude in and have happiness follow?

We start with a journal. You know how when you ask someone the question: “How are you?”, the most common answer is usually: “Well, thank you, under the circumstances”.

More than 10 years ago I was right there under the circumstances. In life, challenges/circumstances will definitely come and sometimes we will feel “under the circumstances”.

I have learned that this would be the best time for “you”, yes “you” to decide that you will never again feel like you are “under the circumstances”.

And as I have learned, this is usually the best time and even the only times to have a change of mind… a “mindset” change… so to speak, because mostly only in hard times, we have to open our vision and hearts as we allow a new way of “seeing things” to enter; because we feel we are not in control. So can you “see” that “under the circumstances” could be exactly where you are supposed to be, but only if you make the best of it, will you take the best from it! (Yes, you may read that sentence again.) It always is “you” who have to decide, because you are the architect of your best life and if gratitude brings happiness; guess what, it would be wise to start being grateful!

I remember being very stressed as I was getting into the shower one morning. We were having financial difficulty with two kids to care for and the usual etc, etc,…

I must have heard something about gratitude somewhere, but at that point in time, I really did not feel anything but stressed. I am sure there are many of you who know exactly what I mean?

I turned on the tap and just tried to clear my mind as the warm water started flowing over me. I probably heard it somewhere or maybe it just came to me that water is purifying and as the fresh clean water washed over me, I visualized all my mind’s “worry clutter and cares” flushing down the drain… it felt good and I just kept on doing this… for a very long while…

As I continued doing this, I actually felt free space opening up in me to receive gratitude for the shower I was having… the fact that I had a shower to get into… the fact that I had water… and the fact that it was actually warm, the exact right temperature… And right there… I decided there was already more than just one thing to be grateful for, by just having a shower!

When I got out, I started writing down what I was grateful for and I have never stopped. I do believe I heard about this exercise from Oprah, as I am a big fan and she helped me through many a “challenge” over the years. I hope by reading this, you will start doing this too as I have found absolute happiness by cultivating this exercise to a fine art.

Oprah also taught me… get ready for a bit of a ‘shocker’… that you even have to be grateful for a daily good “poop”. Yes, you read it right, even if you think you have nothing to be grateful for, start with that. Can you imagine if this did not happen, how sick you will become?

Recently one of my most caring friends, Martin, unknowingly, reminded me about “Oprah’s poop suggestion”. He told me that the best way to get rid of negativity daily is when you have a good “poop”; (sorry for the sensitive readers).

He said that you actually become mindful of getting rid of all the negative thoughts that have come in to clutter a healthy mind since your last “poop” and you visualize flushing away all the negativity.

It works like a charm, except that now I also think of my friend in the loo every day… oops… and now you probably are going to think about me when you are doing the negativity exercise…

Well, it’s okay, because at least I know that you are growing into your very best, positive, healthy and happy life…