Gratitude

I am so grateful for this miraculous life. I can't explain exactly how I've been thrust into such an evocative and openhearted place of gratitude exactly, but wow, am I feeling open, sunny, and joyful, and just so totally appreciative of the wonder of this all.

I won't lie. There are days when this grateful place feels far away, like on the other side of the world. Today, however, just doesn't happen to be one of them.

I am also practiced enough to know not to hold onto this vibrant feeling for dear life, as we all tend to do when we are having a particularly happy moment and don't want it to end. But I am basking in the gratitude right now and saying thank you for the feeling of thanks itself, and also fully absorbing the adage that the more we feel grateful, the more there is to be grateful for. It's like magic, this wildly generous energy!

Gratitude's self-generating quality reminds me of the children's book The Funny Little Woman that I read to my son and the magic rice paddle the little woman ends up with. When she stirs rice with the paddle, it turns one grain of rice into two, and continues to multiply the rice into twice of itself, until the woman has made the most rice dumplings in all of Japan. Talk about abundance!

Without further ado, and inspired by the power of this incredible self-multiplication attribute, here is my of-the-moment gratitude list, shared with you in the hope that it might inspire more and more lists to pop up and sprout from your very own pens or keyboards.

Here goes:

I am grateful for the peace, pleasure, and openheartedness of this lazy Sunday.

I am grateful for The Grateful Dead concert blasting on Sirius radio.

I am grateful for the bright sun streaming in the windows and for the park outside.

I am grateful for and beyond blessed with my amazing sweetheart of a husband.

I am grateful for my three beautiful happy children, brimming with vitality and life.

I am grateful for the wonderful enveloping bed that I am resting on as I type.

I am grateful for the green apple, cashew butter, and brown rice pasta sustaining me.

I am grateful for not having to be anywhere, do anything, or meet any deadline today.

I am grateful for the Buddhas, roses, books, and photos sitting on my altar.

I am grateful for my sweet restorative yoga and meditation practices.

I am grateful for my body, this so sacred vessel.

I am grateful for the divinity in this day, this life, and in us all.

That's my list for the moment, though I feel like it could go on forever. But why would I ever do that, when this would take time away from you jumping in and getting going on yours?

Happy gratitude.

In sweetness,

ML

For more by Maggie Lyon, click here.

For more on happiness, click here.