Today continues our multi-part series, “Prosperity Is….”
“Your body is not yours alone. It belongs to your ancestors, your parents, future generations, and to society and all other living beings. All of them have come together to bring about the presence of this body. Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos. If you are healthy physically and mentally, all of us will benefit.”
—Thich Nhat Hanh, “Moments of Mindfulness”
We discussed how a feeling of gratitude is necessary to have a prosperous life. We talked about how it’s a challenge, but a profitable one, to find gratitude for everything, the good things that come our way, and for the difficulties that come into our lives.
These rough spots, setbacks and even tragedies, as hard as they may be, are not here to hurt us. They are here to help us grow, spiritually and emotionally.
We suggested this prayer, which I have used for a long time, to help me see things right:
Thank you, God for everything. I have no complaints, whatsoever.
Feeling grateful for the good — and the not-so-good — brings us to higher levels of appreciation, deeper levels of acceptance, greater levels of wisdom and into profound depths of Faith, as we see it right, see the bigger picture, see the possibilities, the opportunities in every situation, rather than being stuck in old habitual reactions to circumstances, which for many of us, means being a victim of the world we see.
One early lesson i. A Course in Miracles, Lesson 31, says just that:
Today’s idea is the introduction to your declaration of release…look about you slowly while repeating the idea two or three times. Then close your eyes, and apply the same idea to your inner world. You will escape from both together, for the inner is the cause of the outer…..
Remind yourself that you are making a declaration of independence in the name of your own freedom. And in your freedom lies the freedom of the world.
The idea for today is also a particularly useful one to use as a response to any form of temptation that may arise. It is a declaration that you will not yield to it, and put yourself in bondage.
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So much is packed into that little lesson!
Our inner world is the cause of the outer world! If we don’t like what we see “out there,” know that it is a reflection of what is going on inside of us, and we can change that inner landscape any time we choose. Then the outer world, our perception of it, will shift in ways that will seem miraculous.
So, gratitude is not just something that feels nice whenever we happen to remember to be grateful, it is a profound spiritual tool to change our inner —and thus our outer — circumstances.
The higher aspect of gratitude that I hinted at last week now comes clearly into view….
Beyond the cheap gratitude when we look at others who are worse off and give thanks that we are not in their shoes
Beyond the easy gratitude for good and pleasurable things
Even beyond just feeling grateful for everything— the easy and the difficult….
We can make gratitude an action verb and demonstrate our gratitude. We can BE grateful, in thought, word, feeling AND in DEED!
That’s right! The highest activity of gratitude is to demonstrate it in action.
While feeling grateful helps us have a positive, glass-half-full perspective, it only goes so far. Gratitude without action is dead, perhaps. As an action verb—love in action, appreciation in action, joy in action—gratitude expands and increases!
Moving from an inner feeling to an outward energy reaches out to touch others, affecting people, changing the world and ourselves. In prosperity terms, “What we appreciate, appreciates!” Money in an interest-bearing account appreciates and grows larger. When we gratefully put all our spiritual wealth, ideas, beliefs, faith, successes, failures, indeed, the sum of all of our experiences, in our spiritual bank account (higher consciousness) we take an interest and our spiritual wealth grows.
As Reverend Crystal Muldrow, former minister at Unity Church in Albany, likes to point out, when we are “grateful,” we experience the Great-Fullness of Life, in all of its many wonderful, powerful, and exciting aspects. A heart that has a “Great-Fullness” has expanded, indeed, and is able to hold much richness.
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To really activate all the spiritual energies that move as One to bring us our good, acting grateful, being grateful, showing gratitude in our every move — tells the Universe we appreciate what we have been given, we are ready, willing and able to share our good with others, setting up a chain of miracles that reaches far beyond our little corner of the world, healing people and improving or rectifying situations that we may never know how or who we helped heal!
This is the real power of gratitude in action.
By showing our gratitude, by tithing, by offering a sympathetic ear, by going out of our way to be kind, by standing up for ourselves or another in a difficult situation, with quiet truth — without animosity or fear — we not only bless ourselves— we bless others, we help the entire world.
There are so many ways to take feelings of gratitude and turn them into action: a smile; a wave; holding a door; letting someone in line ahead of you; paying for the coffee for the person behind you; refusing to engage in negative energy or an argument; sending a card, a note or flowers. These are just a few examples.
Rob Brezsny’s Real Astrology weekly blog had this to say about expressing appreciation and gratitude:
COMPLIMENTS
Sara Kuburic writes: Here are some compliments you can bestow that
don't refer to physical characteristics:
"I constantly learn from you"
"The way you treat people is beautiful"
"Your character is strong"
"You are such a good listener. I always feel heard"
"I appreciate how authentically you show up"
"Your confidence is something I aspire to"
"You make me feel like I belong"
"Your resilience is inspiring"
"I love that you don't hesitate to apologize when you're wrong"
"I really admire your passion for self-exploration"
"I love how transparent you are"
"You bring out the best in me"
"You're dependable. I always feel safe around you"
"Your passion is contagious"
— These are were written by Sara Kuburic, CCC; @mIllennial.therapist
Finally, tithing from our increase is a most powerful way to demonstrate gratitude in action. Charles Fillmore, co-founder of the Unity movement, wrote:
Let us give as God gives, unreservedly, and with no thought of return, making no mental demands for recompense on those who have received from us. A gift with reservations is not a gift; it is a bribe. There is no promise of increase unless we give freely, let go of the gift entirely, and recognize the universal scope of the law. Then the gift has a chance to go out and to come back multiplied. There is no telling how far the blessing may travel before it comes back, but it is a beautiful and encouraging fact that the longer it is in returning, the more hands it is passing through and the more hearts it is blessing. All these hands and hearts add something to it in substance, and it is increased all the more when it does return.
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I am always available to help anyone with these concepts. Please contact me if you have thoughts or questions.
I discuss some of my prosperity successes and health challenges in the book, Prosperity Now! and am happy to talk to and work with anyone who is challenged by lack and limitations in their lives. As people who have worked with me know, I do not charge for my time so money should not be an obstacle.
Love and Blessings
John
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