The 7 Steps of Gratitude

Anonymous's picture

Are you feeling it-those wild waves of energy that are crashing into and pulling back from the planet like mini tsunamis? This movement has been continuous lately, as we’re currently in the throws of some tremendously powerful upgrades.  These can look and feel like paradise one day, and then shock us to our very core the next.  All of this up and down and back and forth can really wreak havoc on our sensitive physical and etheric bodies, and also can take a quite a toll on our state of mind.  As I’ve been  dealing with this myself, I have found  that by far the most effective and spiritually enriching way of surviving the shift is to focus on, and remain in a state of gratitude.  Gratitude is highly infectious, and the act of giving thanks has a pure and honest, pay-it-forward kind of effect.  The energy of gratitude flows quite naturally and it easily expands, affecting everyone and everything we come into contact with. I wanted to share with you a simple set of 7 steps, which I devised and use as a meditation  tool.

  • Step 1:  GET QUIET

If possible, as soon as  you think about doing this exercise, stop what you’re doing.  That’s right-just stop.  Turn off the T.V., silence the phone, put away your projects, and make whatever changes you need to make in order to achieve the divine state of doing nothing.  Take a walk, sit in meditation, put on some soft music, get into your favorite yoga pose or curl up with a pet.  As long as you’re able to remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, you’re set to go.  Sit for as long as it takes to get comfortable  just “being” with yourself, and give yourself time to quiet the senseless chatter of the conscious human mind.

  • Step 2:  BE

Allow yourself to simply drift away,  being kind to yourself, and giving yourself as much time as needed to achieve a peaceful state.  You will eventually feel a sense of serenity and detachment.  This state will be triggered in different ways for each of us.  It could come to you in the form of the slap-slap rhythm your shoes make as they hit the pavement during a “walking meditation”, the heartbeat of the fur-baby you’re snuggled up with, the sound of your own breathing or just the blissful sound of nothing.  I like to imagine myself encased in ball of snowy white light, expanding out just enough to enclose my entire energy field.  I call it my “Giant Snowglobe”, as it looks like it’s filled with a blizzard of sparkling crystalline glitter.  Breathe.  Be in the now- moment.  Get comfortable there.

  • Step 3:  REFLECT (on the wonderful)

As you settle into your quiet place, reflect on your life as it is on this day.  In The Now.  What is it that’s fabulous in your world?  What’s the first thing that jumps out at you?  Is it a person, a thing, an opportunity, a place, a state of being…?  You don’t need to make a list-just choose the one that really stands out to you now.  Examine it closely from every angle.  How does it make you feel?  What lessons and gifts has it given you?

  • Step 4:  EXPERIENCE

Now for the tricky part… You have to give yourself permission to truly and deeply feel.  For many of us, myself especially, human emotion can be a sticky and uncomfortable thing.  (I personally love stillness and order, so I’ve had to work hard at this one!). However, doing this exercise gives us the chance to quietly and privately work through our blocks and past hurts, and to release anything that is keeping us bottled up inside and is preventing the manifestation of our abundance.  Sit with the feelings, allowing the warmth and joy to flow through you.

  • Step 5:  GIVE THANKS

Embrace this blessing with your whole heart, then give thanks in whatever way you wish, using whatever words work best for you.  Thank God, The Universe, or whomever you feel drawn to connect with.  Visualize and feel the frequency of gratitude as a warm pink light, filling your heart and spreading throughout your body, your energy field, through the room, your home, then out across the planet and eventually, the Universe.  Sit with this cozy energy for awhile.

  • Step 6:  REFLECT (on the not-so-wonderful)

Yes, that’s correct.  It’s now time to select and reflect on something in your life which is presently presenting itself as being a hardship or a challenge.  This could be coming to you in a wide variety of forms; another person with whom you’re having conflict, illusions of lack or missed opportunity, having to say goodbye to a beloved senior pet, or any number of diverse experiences.  Again,thoroughly  examine the issue.  Repeat Steps 4 and 5, this time bypassing the associated problems and focusing only on what happiness this person, object or situation may have given you at some point in your life.  What was the lesson (trust me, there was a lesson)?  What were some of the pleasant and most memorable moments?  What were the gifts?  What have you learned, or are still learning?  You may have to do some very serious soul-searching to figure it all out, depending on the magnitude of the situation.  But somewhere in there you’re going to find even a tidbit of something that you came into this lifetime to learn.  Let  yourself observe and identify any positive thing which may possibly come out of this situation.  Look ahead onto an imaginary timeline, and examine any thoughts and ideas which come to you in regards to how, or if it’s possible to,  make the situation better.  Again, give thanks, this time for the good, and for any opportunities  during which you were given the chance to enhance your awareness and grow.  Then release it all with love, gratitude and a blessing.

  • Step 7:  CREATE

Now you’re ready to go out into the world and spread the energy of Gratitude around.  Share it with everyone you meet and spread the love every place you go.  Scatter it like confetti!  Then create something new.  Start a project, make a friend, take a class, have a novel experience…  This new creation will go on to be something you will inevitably be grateful for at some point down the road.  And the cycle of gratitude will continue…

Namaste, friends!

Bella

Copyright Bella Capozzi 2017.  Please feel free to post and distribute freely, provided copy is unaltered and includes a link to the original post and the author’s name.  Share the love! http://www.bellareigna.com, https://glitterharvest.wordpress.com

Tags: