Spiritual Forums

Spiritual Forums (https://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/index.php)
-   Affirmations (https://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=104)
-   -   Gratitude (https://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=130976)

Noon84 28-08-2019 10:58 AM

Gratitude
 
Hi

I started to write a daily gratitude list of the things that i am grateful for within my day, however, I realise today that things happens the way around.

I thought when we are grateful for the things, they will happen to increase and we will see more of them. But, today , I realise the opposite happens!

I was grateful for something and the opposite happens which I am not grateful for :confused:

Any idea why is this happening?

Unseeking Seeker 28-08-2019 11:24 AM

***

Opposites attract!

***

ImthatIm 28-08-2019 01:50 PM

I have found gratefulness is a discipline and a practice.

It is easy to list things you agree with and be grateful.

The discipline is to find gratefulness in the things you disagree with.

So even if you find stuff agreeable or disagreeable you can always be grateful and thankful.

My starting base for gratefulness is:

Rock
Fire
Water
Green

JosephineB 28-08-2019 05:24 PM

Quote:

they will happen to increase and we will see more of them
I didn't think keeping a journal was for this. I thought it was to help to see what positive things we have in our life, to try and appreciate them. The so called simple things in life like a nice meal, going for a walk or the sun shining for example.

inavalan 28-08-2019 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noon84
Hi

I started to write a daily gratitude list of the things that i am grateful for within my day, however, I realise today that things happens the way around.

I thought when we are grateful for the things, they will happen to increase and we will see more of them. But, today , I realise the opposite happens!

I was grateful for something and the opposite happens which I am not grateful for :confused:

Any idea why is this happening?


Your beliefs, thoughts and emotions generate thought-forms that materialize likewise situations, not your words, nor your intentions. You may say or write that you're grateful for something, but you might know it isn't so, or you might be afraid it isn't so, then ... that materializes.

flyhigh 23-09-2019 10:57 PM

Gratitude
 
Life happens which is not what you would expect.

davidsun 22-12-2019 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImthatIm
I have found gratefulness is a discipline and a practice.

It is easy to list things you agree with and be grateful.

The discipline is to find gratefulness in the things you disagree with.

So even if you find stuff agreeable or disagreeable you can always be grateful and thankful.

I just saw this Oprah interview with Bro David Steinl-Rast focusing on 'gratitude'. Topnotch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YxT-mZi1bU

Dan_SF 26-12-2019 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noon84
Hi

I started to write a daily gratitude list of the things that i am grateful for within my day, however, I realise today that things happens the way around.

I thought when we are grateful for the things, they will happen to increase and we will see more of them. But, today , I realise the opposite happens!

I was grateful for something and the opposite happens which I am not grateful for :confused:

Any idea why is this happening?


I can give you a simple explanation, a simple exercise, if you wish:

Take an object (it does not matter what it is, for this example) in your right hand.

Stand up, and bring your arms in the Horizontal position. Stretch them so that you need to move your head to right, if you want to see the right hand, or to the left, if you want to see the left hand.

For this exercise, your head symbolizes your attention, your focus.

Now, while standing, arms stretched, look at the right hand, holding this (let us use a ) golden pencil.

Notice how, when being grateful, you are directing your attention to this pencil.

In the other hand, you hold nothing. But in your left hand is your gratefullness and happiness.

When you are grateful, you are directing your attention and expectation towards this pencil. But, what you really want to be, is, to be Happy.

So whenever you reach the place of the pencil, suddenly the opposite happens.

The explanation is simple: Things can not make you happy. They are a BONUS, and a welcome bonus, but they can not make you happy.

The opposite happens, because if you place your happiness on the THING, when the THING is suddenly GONE, then your happiness is GONE too.
So for what are you really grateful, if you look at it, in this way ?

it is a simple logic.

But look on your left hand, it holds nothing.

If you are Grateful, then you are happy. Your left hand is holding the Truth: Nothing can make you happy, but nothing can take away your happiness, as well.

(when i say "nothing can make you happy" i mean "you can be happy, having or having not things")

Gratitude for things is temporary, because it helps you to get out of a negative state.

But when you are in a negative state, it means that you are not happy. Gratitude, then, for an object, is only a crutch to help you get into the happy place.

Direct your Gratitude towards happiness.

davidsun 26-12-2019 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan_SF
I can give you a simple explanation, a simple exercise, if you wish:

Take an object (it does not matter what it is, for this example) in your right hand.

Stand up, and bring your arms in the Horizontal position. Stretch them so that you need to move your head to right, if you want to see the right hand, or to the left, if you want to see the left hand.

For this exercise, your head symbolizes your attention, your focus.

Now, while standing, arms stretched, look at the right hand, holding this (let us use a ) golden pencil.

Notice how, when being grateful, you are directing your attention to this pencil.

In the other hand, you hold nothing. But in your left hand is your gratefullness and happiness.

When you are grateful, you are directing your attention and expectation towards this pencil. But, what you really want to be, is, to be Happy.

So whenever you reach the place of the pencil, suddenly the opposite happens.

The explanation is simple: Things can not make you happy. They are a BONUS, and a welcome bonus, but they can not make you happy.

The opposite happens, because if you place your happiness on the THING, when the THING is suddenly GONE, then your happiness is GONE too.
So for what are you really grateful, if you look at it, in this way ?

it is a simple logic.

But look on your left hand, it holds nothing.

If you are Grateful, then you are happy. Your left hand is holding the Truth: Nothing can make you happy, but nothing can take away your happiness, as well.

(when i say "nothing can make you happy" i mean "you can be happy, having or having not things")

Gratitude for things is temporary, because it helps you to get out of a negative state.

But when you are in a negative state, it means that you are not happy. Gratitude, then, for an object, is only a crutch to help you get into the happy place.

Direct your Gratitude towards happiness.

Great, very idea-rich 'thought experiment', Dan!

I have recently been practicing more pointedly 'directing' my 'gratitude' (i.e. appreciation, enjoyment, feelings of being opportunity-gifted, etc.) towards the very fact that I am alive and am engaged with and can further engage with (marry?) aspects of ongoing Life - like being a river or ocean with all sorts of surf-able waves and fellow fishies :) - note: this is 'tied' with awareness that this Fluid-Flow-event (Life Itself!) is ever-ongoing and not something that I can 'lose' (like the 'golden pencil'). The only shift in 'attititude' such 'gratitude' sometimes requires is my choosing (which I often 'forget' :smile: to do) to 'see' (and so expeerience!) what I am engaged with/to for the Christmass 'party' (click this link to 'see' what I mean here) that it really is.

A meme I created which plays with the above concept:



WOOHOO! :D

inavalan 26-12-2019 07:36 PM

Gratitude is wonderful. Just that it makes sense when it is directed concretely to somebody and something. A fuzzy, wide open, gratitude just implies that you abdicate from your role of (co-)creator of your realty, and expect some external power to do it benevolently for you. I believe that not to be useful.


All times are GMT. The time now is 08:30 AM.

Powered by vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
(c) Spiritual Forums