Don’t wait for a thing to become reality before you are thankful for it. Be thankful, happy, rejoicing over it’s reality and THEN it becomes a reality. Don’t try to force life to happen. Make time to be still, to quiet all the voices of the outside world and listen to your own heart/spirit. Connect with the spirit inside you that is the Great Spirit/Creator and really hear what is in your heart. Make the choice that speaks to your inner being, your true self, in the moment where you are and let that choice guide you. If you try to justify your choice, you will talk yourself out of the very thing that may lead to your greatest self, your divine calling, your individual path. Each of us has a gift and a light, but we often let the opinions of others and fear of ridicule or criticism cause us to keep the gift unwrapped and the light locked inside a box.
I remember once being told to confess what I wanted in my life and it would manifest but I don’t believe that to be true anymore. I believe that when we really want something, we’re not ready for it. Wanting is the acknowledgement of lack. If I want something then I don’t have it. I just now recalled Psalm 23 where it says, “The LORD is my shepherd. I shall not WANT.” Yes, to want something is to LACK and to lack means you don’t have it. I say be thankful for it, embrace the joy of its existence, relish the reality of it and appreciate it even before you see it or in other words, see what you believe before you believe what you see.
The answers to our happiness in life aren’t found “out there” somewhere or a person we will find. The key to happiness is found through an inward journey into the depths of our spirits and psyches. It’s a choice, not a set of circumstances. I believe that gratitude is the key to living an extraordinary life. Gratitude is a constant praise to our maker, simply being thankful for ordinary things leads to extraordinary joy and draws beautiful things into our lives. When we complain and criticize, we draw criticism and bitterness to ourselves. When we fuss about the things we don’t have, we push them farther and farther away from us. Some people would not be happy with all the money in the world. They would never be thankful for what they had and would only want more. Those who worry about money NEVER have enough, no matter how much they have. It’s not what we have or don’t have that makes us happy. It’s the attitude with which we receive it.
I also think it’s important to remind ourselves that yesterday is a story already lived, like a chapter in a book that’s already been read. If we remain in the same chapter, we never finish the story. If we jump ahead to the end, we miss all the good parts of the story and the joy of the reading journey is lost. So it is with life. Yesterday is over, the good and the bad–all gone. We can’t go back and redo and holding grudges only dulls the present. We can’t jump forward for if we do, we miss the most important parts of our story. Love the moment you’re in. Notice the sunlight glinting off your drinking glass as it shines through the window. Taste the seasoning on your food and enjoy its complexity or its simplicity. Smell the flowers in your yard. Feel the cold wind on your face. Enjoy your break at work. Remember; your life is a story, one that has never been nor shall ever be again. And THAT story, YOUR story, is lived in moments with each moment being a new scene, every day a new page, every season a new chapter.
In a sense, we are just this moment. The old saying is true, today is a gift and that is why it’s called the present and no matter how bad the present may feel, remember “this, too, shall pass.” It’s a moment.
Some people are always looking behind and they feel sad and depressed that the world they once knew is gone forever. Other people are always looking for the future, looking for that perfect place where they can finally chase their dream or that perfect person that can finally complete them, but the perfect place is where you are and the perfect person is yourself. Maybe it’s time to stop chasing purpose and realize that YOU are the purpose.
Move moment to moment, listening to the Holy Spirit who will guide you in each step you should take. When we start listening to other people, or getting too wrapped up in our past or worrying about our future, we drown out this guidance system. Each of us has a true calling, a path to walk and it doesn’t matter if it’s logical or reasonable to anyone else. We have to listen to our hearts without justifying ourselves for being true to our calling.
Seize the Day!