Practicing Gratitude

Is Simply Deep Breathing

If there is anyone that can practice gratitude effectively, it is you.

For reference, let’s make a list of all the things I “couldn’t” be grateful for, if I decided to embark down a different path…

1. Verbally Abusive - step-father in my teens who mentally delayed my success with drunken phrases like ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ - on one occasion, he grabbed my upper bicep aggressively and was almost physical, luckily my friends had recently moved in up the street. I left when he went to the shed to smoke weed or kick the dog, as he would casually do often.

2. Drug Abusive Boyfriend - My mother blew our life wide open by choosing to cheat on the man mentioned above, with a recently incarcerated man, who had a family of his own but chose to stay with her to continue abusing Heroin. On many occasions, I caught him shooting up on my way back from work in my moms car.

3. Theft of Personal Belongings - As a result of the above mentioned boy-toy my mom fostered, her van was stolen, my brand new macbook pro (with my graphic designs) was stolen, also my watches, playstation 4, and any cash I had stored.

These are brief references of events that occurred all before my 19th birthday. If I chose to squander time (like I had in the years followed) on being depressed about those circumstances, allowing them to defeat me into becoming like the men mentioned, I would never been the man I am grateful for today. So if you assume your life is hard and there is something you’re having trouble overcoming, keep in mind that some people have to overcome circumstances greater than your own. Be grateful.

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Practicing Gratitude

I don’t want to sound cocky or arrogant but I’m the type of person that absorbs the aura of having physical books in my presence.

I bet we all wish it were this simple, I know I do lmao

What I really mean is, the table of contents of a book provide me a basis in which to exercise from within life. The most calming/grateful book I can reference, as a quick read, is Peace is Every Step. This is a book I’ve had for roughly a decade and still carries weight on my life and book shelf. It’s one that points to the simplicity of practicing gratitude. Through that book, you can find resources to give you that awareness, without that book, follow along below.

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In my basic practice, there is one grounding mechanism for me (and all) which is the breath. When you breathe deeply, for one sec, into your pelvic region and allow the air to come up to your chest, you are unlocking locked airways as well as circulating blood. Simultaneously, you’re bringing your cells closer into the present moment.

When you practice this simple aspect to life, you don’t “need” meditation as much as the gurus will tell you. Sure, meditation is an amazing practice, so here is a guide to it:

but with any system or process, there is no ‘tell all be all’ solution

You have to acclimate to the variables and accept the negativity as a driving force in some cases, this does not mean you cannot find peace in every step, as sometimes people are begging to be ripped to pieces by you. Allowing your cells to be centered in proper intention will provide you the privilege of knowing a deep breath is needed in a moment before exploding on any juniors.

I don’t want to make this a 12 min read, as I easily could, and I am positioning a new blog section for such deep dives, but the point is: find things to be grateful for. A short list below:

1. The sun hitting your face through the clouds

2. The birds chirping on the street

3. The car that nearly hit you crossing the street, but didn’t

4. The taxi that stopped for you after 15 missed “wave-down” attempts

So the next time you fail to realize how much equity and potential you have in the present, take a step back and thank the seniors who prevent you from feeling life without their wing over your head. 🥂 🤤

Don’t fail to realize how many bullets get stopped by your Men-Thors (appreciate you all)