{"id":65,"date":"2014-05-09T20:00:18","date_gmt":"2014-05-09T20:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/sassyspirit\/?p=65"},"modified":"2014-05-09T20:00:18","modified_gmt":"2014-05-09T20:00:18","slug":"gratitude-lifestyle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/sassyspirit\/2014\/05\/gratitude-lifestyle.html","title":{"rendered":"Gratitude Lifestyle"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the secrets to happiness that everyone knows is gratitude. People write lists in journals about what they are grateful for. They mean it. They mentally affirm it, but they don\u2019t take full\u00a0advantage of how powerful it can be. They don\u2019t feel it. Like really feel it. They say all the things they\u2019re supposed to say. Family, friends, health, job, etc. all come to mind, but we really feel them in moments and not categories. Like when our kids say something really sweet. When we hear of a health struggle someone has and we really appreciate how valuable our health is. Or when we have those fleeting moments of clarity where we really grasp how blessed we are when we\u2019re out in nature. Write down those moments. Those moments I call soar-soaring<\/em> moments. When you consciously take stock of them every day it creates a Gratitude Lifestyle. Seriously, you can realize one thing you are grateful for everyday or you\u2019re not looking hard enough. Even if you aren\u2019t in the best place, this will help you get one the road to happiness.<\/p>\n

Try it as an exercise. Right now think of things you LOVE. Not just love, but L-O-V-E<\/strong>! Like wisteria in Springtime. I don\u2019t know about you, but the first time I see a glimpse of that purple magic, I get so<\/strong> happy. I don\u2019t know why, but I\u2019m glad nature makes me that happy. Not bugs in nature, unless we\u2019re talking the cute ones like ladybugs. Shoes makes me happy too, a fierce pair of heels does make me giddy. My mom has surely given me the passion for fashion. Cooking a wonderful meal brings me joy also, just as much as going to a fabulous restaurant, maybe even more. I love fresh produce and how colorful it. I love color. Every color in some form. They make me feel different things. And music. . .oh, how I love music<\/em>. I love focusing on the good<\/strong>. This is why I\u2019m super choosey on what I watch or read. Life is too short for me to feel bad, on purpose. I\u2019m a vibe snob like that. I\u2019m very sensitive to energy so I censor what comes in my world. Also, with the law of attraction, whatever your dominant attention is put on will grow in your reality. Another perk of gratitude is it’s fertile ground for receiving more goodness in your life. The opposite is true.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If you\u2019re never satisfied, you\u2019ll never be satisfied. If you always need more and aren\u2019t ever content and appreciate what you have, you will never be happy and if you receive more, you probably won\u2019t even notice it.<\/p>\n

Gratitude<\/strong> is the perfect channel to be on for receiving mode.\u00a0 It’s saying, “Thank you! And I’d love more please<\/em>,” like when you\u00a0give your\u00a0child a handful of strawberries and they’re so happy, you are eager to give them more when they ask sweetly.\u00a0 Wherever you are at in this moment, you can tune into the gratitude channel.\u00a0 Remember it’s a\u00a0lifestyle, so just change the channel.<\/p>\n

I have 24 hours in each day, as do we all. I try to squeeze as much juice out of life as I can. I give as many hugs as I can to my kids, try to use the least amount of harsh words as I can (a challenge for me at times). I try to spread kindness and speak my truth. I am a smiler and a hugger. These things make me happy. I think it\u2019s so important what I put in my body and even more, what I put in my mind. I surround my life with things that delight me. When you know your intention is to feel good, gratitude is one of your greatest and most practical tool. I will give an example of my list today:<\/p>\n

1. When my baby, Dylaney Maeve smiles, it melts my heart.
\n2. Eating breakfast with a friend at a restaurant that has organic eggs and good ingredients.
\n3. My youngest son Seamus (4) putting his arm around me and saying, \u201cMom, it will be okay,\u201dwhen I told him my Dad has to have surgery again.
\n4. Getting my crystals in the mail from Sage Goddess and holding them in my hand to feel the energy.
\n5. The warm weather and wearing shorts after a LONG winter.
\n6. Baking a cake that I\u2019m going to decorate later tonight.
\n7. Looking at pictures of my sister\u2019s Bachlorette Dinner last night and appreciating my mom, my daughter, my sister, and my best friends Shannon and Tricia.
\n8. The pink flowers on my table, plants in my home, and every flower I pass as I drive around in Springtime.
\n9. All the business opportunities that are blooming and all the people that always want to help me. I have great cheerleaders and online friends easily become real friends for me.
\n10. My home. Not the physical structure, which is good and all, but the feeling of home. There is such an amazing feeling to feel at home.<\/p>\n

Much love to all. Have a great weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the secrets to happiness that everyone knows is gratitude. People write lists in journals about what they are grateful for. They mean it. They mentally affirm it, but they don\u2019t take full\u00a0advantage of how powerful it can be. They don\u2019t feel it. Like really feel it. They say all the things they\u2019re supposed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":568,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nGratitude Lifestyle - Sassy Spirit<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gratitude Lifestyle - Sassy Spirit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One of the secrets to happiness that everyone knows is gratitude. People write lists in journals about what they are grateful for. They mean it. They mentally affirm it, but they don\u2019t take full\u00a0advantage of how powerful it can be. They don\u2019t feel it. 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