Take a little time to appreciate things. Gratitude is the Key!

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It's been said that taking time to appreciate all that you have, will be the driving force behind staying in the good place you find yourself in.  I guess that leads me to the question that so many ask and that's, what if I don't like the place I'm in?  Great question, and here's the answer:  be grateful that you recognize the need for change.  Be grateful that you are now in a place to make changes, and with those changes will come a newness to life.

There are so many people who are unable to be grateful or who can't appreciate all that they have.  I can assure you that very few people who are nearing the end of their existence would not give just about anything to extend their existence.  I want to leave this world with one thought: that I gave it my all, that I lived life to the fullest, and that there isn't much that I would change.

Have you ever given someone a gift and realized that they didn't really appreciate what you had done for them?  What was the first thing that crossed your mind in that moment?  If you are like most people there was a bit of irritation.   Irritated because you took the time to do something nice, irritated  because you feel almost used, and mostly that you simply were not appreciated.  Now I never give a gift so that I can receive in return, but at the same time it is nice to be appreciated for what you do.  After all we are all human and being appreciated feels nice, no denying that.

Now put the shoe on the other foot.  How many times have you received something in life and didn't show appreciation for it?  Be it a gift, a promotion, of love interest, or even a lesson learned.  Face it, when you are going through a tough time, albeit learning a lesson, did you in fact show gratitude for what you were going through?  If you are like most people, you did not.  Hey, we hate the bad stuff that happens to us, but even if it isn't number one on our hit parade list, it still is there to teach us something, and in that something you should find the joy.

Showing appreciation is what the Universe thrives on, and in return the Universe gives you more to appreciate and show gratitude for.  I love the things I have, but I love the things I've learned, and the things I've been through to a larger extend.  All the things I have gone through have gotten me to the place that I occupy in this moment.  I wouldn't trade the place I am in right now for all the money in the world.  I wouldn't give up my writing or speaking for anything.  It is who I am, and it is what I love most about my life.  What things do you love most about your life?  Have you been able to show the gratitude and appreciation for them?  When you can begin to do this, then your life, as I have said so many times in the past will change forever.

As Master Cheng Yen says, "Gratitude, rather than complaint, opens the doors to life."  Once again, if you are constantly focusing on those things that seem like a drain, how can you possibly be looking for the things that will bring you joy, peace, and happiness?  Often we spend so much time complaining about the bad things in life that we neglect to see all the good that we still have.  If you can't appreciate the little things in life how do you expect to experience the big things in life?  It's kind of like school, you have to get through First Grade before you can earn your PhD.

Believe it or not, I appreciate everything that I have gone through in life.  It has taught me some valuable lessons, but it has also brought me to the place I am at right now.  The things you have gone through, or might be going through right now are happening because it is bringing you to a place that you need to be in.  This place is simply a stepping stone to getting you to the next place you need to be in, and then the cycle continues on.  Trust me, I know how tough it can get in life, and equally as tough is accepting that there is a purpose behind everything.  However, if you can find it in yourself to appreciate all of it, then the lessons you are learning will be ripe with abundance for you.  The rewards for showing gratitude and appreciation are vast, and I would think that most people would appreciate the rewards of life.

You can begin this change in your life simply by appreciating the moment you are in right now.  Certainly you might be in the middle of a crap storm, but at the end of this storm is a rainbow, and at the end of the rainbow is the pot of gold.  It is only when you can't recognize the learning opportunities that you miss out on some of the best things in life.

Appreciate what you have.  Show some gratitude for what you have gone through.  Learn to accept that growth comes through many types of events.  These events may be easy, some might be hard, and others down right agonizing.  It doesn't matter what happens, what matters is how you look at things and the gratitude you display as a result of things taking place in your life.  This may not be the happiest of times for you, but boy oh boy, they certainly can bring about the biggest changes in your life, and change is good if you can see the upside to it.  Gratitude and appreciation my friends is the key, and it is the key that will open up the doors to a treasure trove of goodness for you today and into tomorrow.