The Power of Intention Part 6 of 10: Gratitude
March 9, 2009 by dr. lam
I know this is my third blog on gratitude over the course of blog writing, but that is how special I believe the intention of gratitude truly is. The feeling of gratitude is diametrically opposed to the feeling of scarcity. It tells you, “I have enough” and “I am happy” and further “I am thankful.” When we open our spirit in praise to our God for thankfulness, we can receive more. When we turn off the spigot of gratitude, we enter a darker world that is filled with anxiety about the future and of our current situation. The offering of gratitude falls fully in alignment with the intention of abundance. When we see abundance that we have, we should offer gratitude. That is the next logical step after seeing that we are in an abundant state rather than one of deprivation.
Even when we look at our past, we should look at it with gratitude. If you had a negative experience or you went through a divorce, there was a time and reason for everything. You learned from those things and be grateful that you are not there anymore. Too often we look at our past with resentment and resistance, but it is part of the fabric of your life. There was a time and reason for that person or those persons to have been in your life. Look at your past with an open heart and then you can focus on your present and future with gratitude much more easily.
Start with a simple exercise: what are you grateful for? For me, I am grateful to have a career that I am in love with. I am grateful for having wonderful staff that I care about and who care about me. I am grateful that my staff is talented in each of their own unique ways. I am grateful for the abundance and growth of my practice. I am grateful for my loyal readership of my blogs. I am grateful for being able to lead and touch many people even way far outside of Dallas. I am grateful that I have such wonderful, sincere, and motivated patients. I am grateful for the food that I partake, the health that I have, the clothes that adorn me. I am grateful for the love of my family, specifically my mother and sister. I am grateful to have precious in-laws like Matt who gives his love to my sister unconditionally. I am grateful for a building that was created from scratch and which embodies what was once only an immaterial dream. I am grateful that you are connected with me right now at this very moment that you are reading my words. I am grateful for the bounty that God has bestowed upon me, for the love that I feel every day, for the wealth of joy that floods my heart, for the personal growth that I experience every day, and for so much more that would fill volumes of written word.
What are you grateful for today? Stop for a moment, meditate, and enumerate all that you are grateful for out loud and to yourself. Follow forward this very day with the spirit and intent of gratitude and be thankful for your abundance.
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10 Responses to “The Power of Intention Part 6 of 10: Gratitude”
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I don’t think you can have too many blog posts on gratitude.
I like how you mentioned that even if someone has been through a negative experience in his/her past, that there is still opportunity to find things to be grateful from it for the present and future. I like that perspective.
Splendid, I love blog assignments! I am going to write a list of things I am thankful for; I think this will help me better realize all the things I am blessed with.
Love it, Doc!!
Thanks Heather. If you like, you can actually post all of what you feel is not private here. Your energy will then radiate to everyone around you. If you like to keep things private, I understand too. You can also share a partial list. If you like assignments, wait until this Friday. I have a big one for you!
I have been trying to list at least 5 things to be grateful for every day for a while now – and what an impact it has had! It is amazing how doing so is making me more aware of all the things I have (the abundance of life), and realizing that what I have is enough, and more than just enough really.
The 5 things I am grateful for today: I am grateful for the snow that fell this morning and created a beautiful unexpected winter-wonderland in March; I am grateful for a wonderful weekend skiing at Whistler; I am grateful for a good night sleep; I am grateful for the perfect cup of coffee in front of me; and I am grateful for this blog which enriches my days!
thank you in particular for your wonderful last statement. hey everyone, i was thinking about a new sign off. what do you think about “love and respect”? someone told me seth godin has a variation of it so i feel like i’m stealing it from him, but supposedly he gives love and people give him back respect. i would rather give both! thoughts?
Go for it, Dr. Lam! “love & respect” sounds original to me.
Ooohh now you’ve got my curiosity aroused for Friday‘s assignment!!
I’m going to have a hard time sleeping..lol
Hey Vancouver, that is cool that you are thinking of five things to be grateful for daily!
Dr. Lam and Vancouver, you guys both have great lists of things you are thankful for!
My list is reaching 100..lol
I don’t think you want a list that long on here, so here goes a very minified version…
I am thankful for my family, especially my siblings, which I have spent great times with and who have helped mold me into who I am today. I am thankful for my friends who have always been kind to me. I am grateful for my positive outlook on life and my energy. I am thankful for my job, my health, and all the things that I tend to take for granted. I am grateful for Dr. Lam’s blogs as they are always very insightful and inspiring! I am thankful that there are people that care and who are changing the world for the better…..etc.
somehow i am particularly fond of the 2nd to the last one….
love and respect,
sml
My first thought about “love and respect” was that it sounded a bit stilted, but the more I think about it, the more it grows on me!
I very much like the Asian greeting of “namaste” and the whole meaning behind it (such as “The divine spirit within me recognizes and honors the divine spirit within you”), so for tonight I’ll say:
Namaste
namaste
sorry, didn’t mean to be “anonymous” – just forgot to put my name there.
no problem. just finished yoga an hour ago, and we finished with namaste. why don’t you use that one? we should all have a nice sign off!
love/respect,
sml