In response to a newsletter on GRATITUDE:
I have so much to be grateful for today. Gratitude, from what I’ve read and experienced is one of the most, if not the most, powerful emotions in the universe. When dealing with the 8 Dimensions of the Wellness Wheel, or the spokes if you will- there are really cool characteristics that not only grow from but also enhance the facets of the various spokes.
The spokes of the wheel are:
physical
intellectual
social
occupational
community
environmental
financial
spiritual
My experience is that gratitude grows when applied to each part of live represented in the spokes!
My relationships are more beautiful and genuine, my job is more joyful, physical being is stronger, the list goes on.
As you may imagine, I have met with a few difficult situations here in Federal Prison and I learned early on that I could invoke a game of instant gratitude, an activity that would take me away from a stressful situation, that surely would pass but why not pass it with the most positivity imaginable!
-visualize the most obvious things and faces of persons I am grateful, I like to think of this as doing a “gratitude scan”.
-speak out load, naming the persons or things
-breath
-and before long, PEACE IS RESTORED IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS OR UNCERTAINTY
Another time when gratitude is powerful is at the beginning and in the end of a hard workout. During the introductory stretches, when I am reminding everyone to become aware of their breath, I ask them to be thinking about what they are grateful for. So often the women would instantly say, ” to you” and whereas I am grateful for their love, I challenge them to look deeper into their life and use that gratitude to fuel a powerful workout. Let us never take the word ” workout ” for granted, as there are many things that can be ” worked out ” in that space if we allow. At the end of the workout, when we breath through various yoga poses- I make a point to state that I am grateful for strong lungs to breath through each strong muscle, which I am also grateful for. I ask them to go around the circle and say what they are grateful for once again.
Gratitude is also a key I use here when dealing with individuals who seem to be struggling to find the silver lining of life, naturally when the walk up and start to dump all their problems on me, I often say to them, ” so what are you grateful for today? “. They either play the game or walk away, both are fine by me. Quite frankly, the older I get the more a lack of gratitude becomes an unattractive ” turnoff ” that causes me to avoid some individuals.
Especially in the chow hall, gratitude is a game changer. I have been very particular about the food I eat for most of my life. I have too much knowledge of our current food situation, like I wish I didn’t know that our chicken in the USA is considered, “chlorine chicken ” by smarter countries. I am hyper aware of the long term effects of eating too much processed foods, GMO imposters, and not enough fruits and veggies. So eating here was very challenging for many years.
The truth that I know is that how I see and receive the food on a deep cellular level is actually more important that the food it’s self. My beautiful Tia Favorita taught me the best way to deal with all this: She told me to sit still and take time to find true gratitude for the food in front of me ( having made the best choices possible ) and to visualize and give thanks to all the migrant workers who helped it to get to my table, imagine all the workers, even the ones right here in the chow hall, who aided in the effort to get it before me. I recognize this to have made a difference, not only with my issues but I became aware of the conversations around me, those who were complaining and fussing about the food, the staff, the prison, their life etc.. and I began to draw a line which formed a choice that then developed into a boundary that is now a habit, of gratitude and NOT EATING MY EMOTIONS.
One of the things I am most grateful for is the abilty to ask my body what it needs, trusting the vision of wellness will come to me. After years of living a life where I was paranoid and looking over my shoulder for the cops, I am grateful for deep understanding that all things in the universe are not plotting against me but working together for the greater good of my righteous, pure plans. I am grateful that I am immune to disease, grateful that the matters of my heart are resolved and I know true love. I can literally document the neural pattern changes which have grown from true joy, love, creativity, pleasure, and yes, gratitude.
Various religions have these different little boxes filled with different facts, beliefs- but one thing we should all be able to agree on is the power of a prayer of gratitude. When your life is in turmoil, you can kick-start a new beginning by making a point to be vocal about every little thing you are grateful for as many days as needed. Prayers of gratitude are powerful tools for wellness.
In Dr. Northrup’s book, GODESSES NEVER AGE, she says this is one of the best ways to commune with the divine.
Michael Santos says, ” we have always got to sow seeds for the success we want to experience in the future.”
This is in line with my mantra; the question I ask myself at various points throughout my day and a question I ask others to ask themselves: ” are my actions today, in line with my goals for tomorrow? “
I have noticed that the more I ask myself this simple question, the more I am able to flow easily into a powerful, stress free day. I find, the more I focus on what I am grateful for, the more simple my needs/ wants become. More importantly,
My definition of success takes on a greater depth- where it isn’t about me but about “US”.
READ NEWSLETTER ARTICLE HERE: https://prisonprofessors.com/journal-entries/gratitude/
