Quote from Parenting the Gratitude Habit

“The richness of gratitude is not in the use of words but in the heartfelt response to something, someone, or some experience. Words can be the messenger but the heart provides the power and the source of light to the thankful.”  ~ Wendy Meg Siegel, from Parenting the Gratitude Habit.

First, there is a prompt that engages our heart and we find ourselves in a state of gratitude. This may have been triggered by a personal experience or as a witness to someone else's words or actions. We might be responding to the beauty of an image or a piece of music, or reacting to seeing a newborn, a sunset, or the crashing of ocean waves.

Meaningful feelings develop within ourselves as we experience the grateful moments of life. Acknowledge those moments and allow yourself to fully experience the gifts. Feel the way your inner-being processes thankfulness throughout the day. Let it light you up. This is where the true power of gratitude resides. And then, by sharing those grateful feelings, with your words, you are spreading the gratitude habit to others.

The words I wrote in the last post seem to beautifully describe some of the ideas expressed in this quote.

Gratitude Quote: Quoting myself

“Gratitude lights up my inner world and I feel as if I glow.”  ~ Wendy Meg Siegel

What can I say, but when I fully allow myself to get caught up in a state of gratitude, I feel as if I am filled with light. The glow begins at the heart, as it's center, and then it grows from there until I am fully lit from within. In those moments, I know my being cannot contain the expansiveness of that light and it seems as if it must be radiating out from my core to my entire world.

True gratitude begins with and flows from the heart.

Grateful for The Light

 

I am grateful for the light that glows within me, for the way it touches my life, and energizes my actions, passions, and joy. I am equally thankful to find myself in the presence of someone else's glow. The light we experience in others can range from subtle to magnificent. They may be aware of the light they share or most likely totally unaware of how their light radiates to those around them. That light can have the effect of igniting our own or act as a reminder of how we are filled with light ourselves.

We come into the world as brightly lit beings and along the road of life our disappointments, fears, and life experiences act to dim that brightness. Somehow we learn to hide the glow from others which leads to denying it to ourselves as well. As adults we have the opportunity of reigniting the light, reconnecting to our true nature, and reawakening to our inner sparkle. By growing that light we are also growing our inner strength, courage, joy, and well being.

Here are some ways to turn up your light and to Get Your Glow On:

• Smile more - just for the sake of smiling. You may find you have more to smile about.
• Listen to music that gets you moving...dance freely. Let yourself dance in any way that feels good to you. 
• Laugh. It's funny how laughter creates more laughter. Find things to laugh about.
• Make time each day to do something that makes you feel "lighter." Spend time involved in activities that bring you joy.
• Visualize yourself filling up with light and surrounding you. Hold that thought. (Notice where the light emanated from...above, below, within, without, etc.) Take it a step further and let that light radiate out into the world.
• Start taking steps to follow your dreams, if you haven't already done so.
• Do some Spring cleaning...inside and out. Make space for the light by letting go of the inner cobwebs. Cleaning your environment of clutter is a great way to start that process.
• Speaking of "inner clutter" - Forgive yourself for choices you've made in the past and actions that fill you with feeling of blame or guilt. If it's difficult to let it go, try writing a forgiveness letter to yourself from a place of love.
• Share your gratitude with others. Let them know what you appreciate about them.
• Spend time in nature. Focus on the exquisiteness of the natural world.
• Let go of trying to please others and focus on being true to your inner flow.
• Let go of the "shoulds" in your mind.
• Trust your heart.
• What else would you add to this list?

Now, go forth and Shine Your Light out in the world.

This is Day 14 of the Thirty Days of Gratitude.