Positive Attitude – Appreciating Each Moment of Your Life

Another day, another routine, maybe almost exactly the same as yesterday? Are you stuck in the rut of taking your life for granted? Do feelings of appreciation come to you often — or come to you rarely?

An early morning email from a wonderful, compassionate woman who has been quite inspirational to me has been a wake-up call, reminding me how precious a “normal” existence is. This woman has been suffering from an unusual condition involving her spinal fluid and has been bedridden for a half year now. Still she continues to do her inspirational tele-calls from her bed, reaching out her kindness and compassion to others in her internet community despite her own extreme physical challenges. Though it appeared she was healing, she has experienced a major setback and will be going in to the hospital for another surgical procedure. (Some of her symptoms are excruciating headaches and vision loss .) She is only in her early forties.

Another acquaintance of mine was recently hit by a van while she was walking in the street and was quite injured. Fortunately, after much medical care and rehabilitation, she is recovering.

I don’t share these stories for a “gloom and doom” effect. I share them for a “wake up and smell the beautiful fragrance of your life” effect.

Life truly does bring us along a road of many twists and turns, and sometimes we are never sure what we will find when we round the next curve. But that doesn’t mean we have to be filled with fear-based thoughts along our journey. We shouldn’t hide from living, and cower away, afraid of what could happen.

On the contrary, I am encouraging you to go out and live your life — and live it with grand appreciation! Life is a magnificent gift, and we should choose to treat and acknowledge it as such.

Embracing appreciation with a deep reverence for the beauty of our individual lives is probably the most joyful and productive thing one can do. Learn to bask in the clarity and exhilaration of each moment. Oh yes, some moments are definitely better than others. But as we make a conscientious effort to bring in more optimistic thought patterns, it becomes easier to find the precious good in our everyday experiences. Particularly the very simple ones — such as times spent with family, friends and even our cherished pets. Or times we spend connecting with nature.

Make an effort to greet each day with some form of appreciation. Bringing in the feelings of gratitude early in the morning can jump-start your day to be more positive, more productive, more inspired! And closing the day in the evening by just mentally revisiting those best moments of your day with authentic gratitude can be quite powerful.

It is said that those who are able to live their lives in a state of appreciation are generally happier and more fulfilled.

So what can you do, personally, to bring more thoughts and sensations of appreciation into your own reality? Give it some thought, and start now to begin to tap into that wellspring of appreciation that I do believe resides within each of our hearts. Let it flow forth… and enrich your life!

 Affirmations:

• I am grateful for all the lessons I have learned along this journey called Life.
• I strive to let appreciation fill my heart and my senses… and know that my life is better for it.
• Embracing the concept and practice of appreciation brings joy, abundance, inspiration and fulfillment.