Gratitude

Today I reviewed this intention I set in the fall:

I intend to practice an abundance consciousness; becoming aware of the abundance already in my life, feeling grateful for it, and being open to accepting more of it, because when I believe there’s enough for everybody, I will take it as a challenge to figure out how to make it so; I will work harder to create a bright future for myself, my family, and my world.

Agenda:

1. Love meditation

2. Read "It's a Meaningful Life"

3. Write thank you's

1. Love meditation:

Every month after the full moon, in the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon, I practice a love meditation that progresses from receptivity, to gratitude, to generosity:

Day 2: Practice the love meditation below, and end by feeling and expressing gratitude - send a prayer to the universe of thanksgiving for all I have in my life. 

When I remember to feel grateful for my blessings, my days take on a different tone: I have more vigor, optimism, compassion, and peace. By noticing how I am blessed, my impatience decreases and I realize how satisfied and fulfilled I really am.

1. 1 minute - Relax your body, and focus on the tender emotion of generous love. Allow a smile to settle on your face and in your heart.
2. 1 minute - Visualize love as soft, tingly, warm, pink light, and see it move from your heart to every part of your body so that every cell is glowing and vibrating.
3. 1 minute - Now see the pink light of love radiating to fill the whole room, then the whole city, and the whole planet earth.
4. 1 minute - See that all people, plants, and animals feel warm and happy.
5. 1 minute - Send an extra dose of love light to those people you want to have a better connection to.

2. Read "It's a Meaningful Life": 

I've been re-reading "It's a Meaningful Life; It Just Takes Practice," by Bo Lozoff (2000). Chapter 13 is The Big Activism.

"The most valuable form of world-changing activism in this day and age may be to explore a lifestyle based on simple living and simple joy."

He describes many ideas that we already do or have done: collective ownership of cars and tools, bulk buying, exchanging goods and services, and he challenges us to take some steps toward a simple lifestyle:

• Get out go debt and don't use credit.
• Give one thing away whenever you buy a new thing.
• Stop drinking alcohol and coffee.

3. Write thank you's:

We mostly opened gifts in person this year, and said heartfelt thank-you's to each other on the spot, but I do have one or two thank you notes to send out, and today I will do it.