Look with eyes of wonder

Grateful for this space. The view and being next to the sea always fills my eyes with wonder and my heart with peace and gratitude. -Dani Trudeau

“If you’re grateful, you’re not fearful, and if you’re not fearful, you’re not violent. If you’re grateful, you act out of a sense of enough and not out of a sense of scarcity and are willing to share,” Steindl-Rast

October is Gratitude so we thought we would have a month talking, writing and sharing our take on gratitude. I for one, think that we could all be better at living with gratitude. Similar to mindfulness, gratitude takes practice and there are many different ways one can truly live in gratitude. Find some useful top tips here.

In dark or difficult moments — whether personal or interpersonal, local or global — it’s natural to feel lost or powerless. Expressing gratitude is one useful act, but stepping outside of ourselves is another way to channel grief into good. And to connect us with others who may be ailing.
Saving the entire world is a pretty big task, but performing acts of care for others, however big or small, will lift the world’s weight from your shoulders.

Gratitude puts situations into perspective. When we can see the good as well as the bad, it becomes more difficult to complain and stay stuck.

Gratitude helps us realise what we have. The awareness of what we’re grateful for can lessen our tendency to want more all the time.

Gratitude makes us happier. Gratitude strengthens relationships, improves health, reduces stress, and, in general, makes us happier.

One interesting fact, I have discovered in practice, is that fear and joy are inextricably linked with our ability to be vulnerable, and subsequently, our vulnerability is linked to our ability to be grateful. It takes courage to be imperfect and it takes embracing one’s vulnerability. A connection will come as a result of living in this authenticity. Of course this is much harder to live than to just write about, after all who wants to be imperfect? Not me. But that feeling like I want to be perfect stops me from allowing myself to be vulnerable which ultimately makes me feel like a failure. Furthermore, what I have learned is that feeling vulnerable is not the same as feeling like a failure, in fact there are opportunities in vulnerability, where as feeling like a failure does not allow for growth.

Honestly, by noticing my day-to-day world from a point of gratitude, I am amazed at all the goodness I take for granted. Practicing this awareness has also helped me be more mindful and present, something I was trying to practice but now I feel like I have found my way in. Just looking at the sea, the sun on the tress, the dew on the grass with soft eyes fills me up with gratitude. Thank you for the sunshine, the morning cup of coffee made by my husband, the good morning cuddle from my daughter, the peace that follows from a big deep inhale and slow exhale.

So here is to a month of gratitude. We would love to hear from you, see what you are grateful for today and share how you cultivate a life of abundance and gratitude.