 Why does gratitude make such a big difference in our lives. My life has not always been rainbows and butterflies, I have had many times when we went without, many times when I felt like I "deserved" more, times when I cursed my job or situation to hell, times when I wish things were different, one of the greatest resources I ever blessed myself with was gratitude itself.. and lots of it.
I learned to be thankful every moment of every day, for every possible thing big and little. My days are filled with gratitude all the time, to people, friends, loved ones, I am so so grateful all the time, I find it humbles me and helps me to remember just how lucky I truly am, just how blessed I have it. The last couple of months have been crazy to say the least but amidst my own storms i made conscious effort never forget my blessings and those who have aided on the journey, I don't ever let even the littlest things go by with out me paying homage to them and saying thank you in my thoughts, in my heart and in my prayers. Its so important to me, even during those times when my attention strays into the territory of what I feel is so called "lacking" - I immediately slap myself back into the moment and remind myself there are individuals out there who are dealing with a great deal more of challenging situations and I truly have no right to complain about my little issues no matter how big they seem to my world.
Anything we are going through can be eased and transformed with a dose of genuine gratitude. Just wanted to share this thought in hopes to motivate anyone out there to get back into the habit (yes its a lifestyle change to practice gratitude daily) of showing gratitude instead of complaining, I promise it will change your life for the more positive, you will feel more peace regardless of what is occurring externally, you will cultivate an inner love and happiness unlike anything you have ever experienced, I cannot promise you receive more due to your change of thought process but I can tell you that no matter how little or a lot you have you will learn to make the most of it in such a way that you will no longer desire change or feel a need to control what's happening. ~Will "Story" Rivera We struggle, we fall, we fight, we hate, we argue, we beat ourselves up, the judgment is clouded, voice unsure, defense mode up, walls built, anger rising, loathing ourselves, pain indescribable, no reason to continue, no hope, no light, we really fucked this up, no turning back now, ego full of pride, sorry is a waste of breath, who in the world would forgive this, disappointment to everyone we meet, but each moment is full of opportunity, full of miracles, no matter how deep the hole we dug ourselves, there is always, always an opportunity to stop, to move forward, head held high, responsibility taken, experience learned from, tears wiped clean, another chance to start fresh, with faith and courage, facing all that we created, thoughts clear, voice confident, bridges mended, love replacing all other emotions, light so bright we light the whole dam sky, mindful of ego, forgiveness given to ourselves and others, appreciation developed, a sense of self and purpose, no more regrets, only a story to tell, a notch under our belts, fuel to take us higher, spirit guiding our path, wings spread wide, a fallen angel revealed; and through all the bullshit, we still made it! Giving up is no longer an option! ~Will "Story" Rivera
 Although, obstacles are truly inevitable in all of our lives, they are not without purpose. I believe there is a grand design behind everything that happens and those very obstacles are put in place to be the tools to aid us in our own personal and spiritual conscious evolution.
The most important fact to remember when dealing with some of the lowest, darkest, saddest, most hurtful and emotional wreck of a time in our lives, is that we are not free from the pain of a situation, but we are free to transform that painful situation into an opportunity for our growth - should we choose to open our hearts accept it. Difficult roads are only treacherous when we fail to see the opportunity, everything that we experience serves to expand our growth and ultimately align us with who we truly are deep within, thats the greatest of all, to be fully aligned with our true self during every moment of every day. Every time we accept a challenge, we are summoning the courage, faith and the means of overcoming it – all of which dwells within us, we tap into the energy of our highest self, We reach in and tap into the powers of our highest self and serve to remind us that we are NOT helpless, hopeless, and lost. All our strength, all our courage, all our answers lay dormant within us; nothing will be able to us hold us back for too long, choosing to have confidence in ourselves is the key to this process, think of it this way, the more we trust ourselves the less we will perceive anything as an issue or a painful situation - everything that happens to us has potential to transform into some of our greatest opportunities for growth - Giving up is no longer an option! ~Will "Story" Rivera |
