Monday, February 26, 2007	Post #1

Gratitude is many things.

Did you know that to celebrate is to experience gratitude? In fact, celebration is intensified gratitude.

Did you know that there is a spiritual quality to gratitude? A quality that recognizes we are all connected to each other in a mysterious, miraculous and almost magical way.

Did you also know that gratitude is much more than the simple act of saying thank you? In fact there is so much empowerment within one who truly understands, appreciates and lives with gratitude that it actually changes their whole outlook on life to one that is incredibly positive, enlightening and happy.

Gratitude is the act of intellectually recognizing, willingly acknowledging and emotionally appreciating such things as the kindness of others, gifts bestowed upon us, or the beauty of a grand, majestic mountain. We have all felt the power of these feelings at one time or another in our lives.

We do not necessarily need to take in the awesome wonderment of the Grand Canyon to experience a feeling of immense peace and calmness; in fact, we can grasp that feeling anytime and anywhere if we train ourselves to think with a gracious attitude. That's truly all it takes. Gratitude is to feel the beauty of life in everything, from the simple things and the small things to the breathtaking beauty of mountainous landscapes and the grandiose accomplishments of human beings. We don't need to look far. It's all around us and most importantly, it's within us.

Discovering the power of gratitude allows us to tap into feelings that are important to us, to understand them, embrace them and act upon them. This begins with our grateful acknowledgement of the world in which we live, the people with whom we share this planet; and of course, acknowledging the importance of our own being. You are important! We are important! The world is grateful to have us!