Counting Your Blessings
How To Really Feel Gratitude

Being Thankful And In A State Of Gratitude Is More Than Counting Your Blessings

When you are counting your blessings do you really feel gratitude for your existence, for your being alive and here, regardless of the situation you find yourself in... or are you being thankful only when things are going good in your life?

Don't panic! We all fall short on this and knowing that we do is the first step in changing how we view being in a state of gratitude. Nothing is written in stone, and that is a wonderful thing when it comes to enlightment.






Gratitude - Beyond Counting Blessings
By Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD

"Counting your blessings," is a common statement people make when they have bemoaned their latest woe, travail or as a ritual. While this cliche or ritual seems to be authentic, it is not. Thus, there is harm done, because, the universe works in authenticity and since a cliche statement is unauthentic the universe remains neutral waiting for authenticity to surface.

In counting your blessings many people acknowledge the wonderful people, things and places that make up their reality. While it is good being thankful for the good fortune you have accumulated, true thankfulness stems from a powerful comprehension of the gift of simply being gratefully alive.

When you feel it, you feel it regardless of your circumstances. In a deep state of gratitude, you will recognize the purity of the experience of simply being, in and of itself. Your thankfulness is part and parcel of your awareness that you are one with this great universe and life itself.

It is difficult for Western society to access this level of consciousness as we are caught up in the ups and downs (drama) in the world. One thing to remember about the world is that it ebbs and flows, expands and contracts, gives and takes, and is by its nature somewhat unreliable.

If you only feel gratitude when it serves your desires, this is not true gratitude. No one is exempt from the vicissitudes in life, which may, at any time, take the possessions, situations and people we love away from us.

Ironically, it is sometimes a loss that awakens us to be grateful for everything instead of only when things go our way. Illness and near-miss tragedies can also serve as a wake-up call to the deeper realization that we are truly blessed to be alive.

You do not need to wait to be shaken to experience the state of being truly authentically grateful for your life. Tuning in to your breath and making an effort to be fully present for a designated period of time each day can bring forth your ability to connect with true gratitude.

You can also awaken yourself with the intention to be more aware of the unconditional generosity of your life force that flows through you regardless of your circumstances.

This is what counting your blessings is about.