Sunrise - Photo Theresa Sjoquist

Gratitude acknowledges. It affirms, says yes.  It says, I accept.  These characteristics seem to me to be direct replicas of the characteristics of love which certainly acknowledges, affirms, and says I accept.

Love is an expansive thing.  Things don’t die of love usually.  They die because they aren’t getting any love or enough of it.  Nothing thrives on hate or fear, or ignorance.  Those things all contract and swallow themselves up eventually.  But love makes things grow.

So if gratitude is an aspect of love, then it must also be expansive, and my personal experience suggests that that’s true. The more you look for things to be grateful for, the more things there are to be grateful for. Unlike many, you have a roof over your head, food, access to computers, and many other modern conveniences that millions of people on this planet have yet to experience on a regular basis. Could be worth a little gratitude.

Have you considered the pump that keeps your body going, and the litres of blood which are miraculously circulated to keep your system nourished?  How about the fact that you woke up this morning; that you draw breath.  It’s not hard to be grateful and it’s surprising that more people aren’t since it turns an ordinary life into a spectacular one.

Think about it…what can you be grateful for in this moment…and remember that gratitude is a feeling so whatever you are grateful for, feel the feeling of thankfulness in your body.