jenny cares 

Practice True Gratitude

These days, so many of us are feeling stressed or afraid of not having enough. Fear is everywhere. But a True Gratitude practice can go a long way to alleviate those uncomfortable feelings of scarcity and fear.

The secret is that where there is gratitude, there isn’t room in the human heart and consciousness for fear. The following are simple ideas to help us feel thankful:

1. Witness Your Feelings
Give yourself permission to feel the tension, anxiety, fear, etc with understanding, not shame.

2. Name Three Things you are grateful for.

3. Keep a Gratitude Journal.
Soon you will have a beautiful list of things to reread in the wee hours when you can't sleep or times when you are upset.

4. Gratitude Mantra
Especially good when driving. Rather than thinking, let the mantra be a stream of consciousness. Just start naming. Small scale examples: I am grateful for the trees... that I can breathe... grateful that my car runs; and Large scale: I am grateful that I have a sister who cares... grateful for loyal friends, etc.

5. Affirmation for the Present Moment
Right now, in this moment, I have enough. It is true, and is a deep balm for fearful-future thinking

"Today's Action" suggested by Care2,
adapted from Earth, Water, Fire, and Air (SkyLight Paths, 2003) by Cait Johnson.