A Note On + Practice of Gratitude

I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. On a human level, I love cooking and eating good food.On a spiritual level; I think true gratitude is one of the most powerful things we can practice. I used to practice what I would now call “pop-gratitude.” I would write in a journal all the things I was grateful for. I would guilt and shame myself into feeling grateful. There’s a way that this had an outward and almost forced energetic to it. It was still helpful, but it isn’t the same as the gratitude I experience now. This forced gratitude is like “I should be grateful.” It’s about comparison in some way. “I’m so lucky [compared to those people.]” It requires us to have more than someone else. However, as I’ve learned to truly be in reception to Life, I can’t help but be truly grateful. Because true gratitude requires a softening and a full reception. It requires openness. If you are not open; you cannot fully receive. You can pretend to receive, but if you’re not open you’ll never actually feel the full brevity of what is being offered to you. My teacher uses the example of a closed fist. Close your fist and hold it out in front of you.Now imagine someone is handing you something you want. Can you receive it? Can you hold it? Can you take it? No, because your fist in closed. Now open your hand. With an open hand you can be given something. So as I’ve become more energetically open; I have received so much more and been able to hold so much more of what I want. And as this happens, I have experienced deeper and deeper gratitude. Gratitude that has nothing to do with the actual things I am getting or holding, but gratitude that is a result of being open. Gratitude that brings real deep appreciation of everything that fulfills and sustains me. And, in turn, I have been able to give even more. True gratitude increases my ability to give AND receive. Because they are two sides of the same coin. They both require us to be energetically open. I felt called to record a meditation for you. So if you feel called, take 10 minutes in what is probably a full and stimulating day, to open yourself up in gratitude and reception. (The audio isn’t great.. sorry.. I did what I could in the time I had. It’s nice to just listen to the music.) I am so grateful for every single one of you that takes the time and energy investment to read these writings and be with through this process of Living. Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit clarabelize.substack.com/subscribe