By Christian de la Huerta
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Then let's consider that of those fortunate enough to live in developed nations, far too many are barely able to make ends meet and often work more than one job to make their lives function. Countless people still lack a good education, basic health care, or the support of a loving family.
Depression is a luxury many cannot afford. To be able to question or ponder the meaning of life is quite a privilege. So as we head into the whirlwind of the holiday season -- which for many is a cause for the blues -- let us remember how good we really have it, and how much we have to be grateful for.
Recently several books and films have expanded the way we pray, summarized in what can be called the Law of Attraction. If our thoughts create our reality -- a premise previously relegated only to the spiritual realm, but which is now finding more and more evidence in the field of quantum physics -- then when we ask for something in prayer which we do not have, then we are actually affirming its lack. If we had it, we wouldn't need to ask for it. So, we are told, the best way to pray is to think about, and better yet, feel what it would be like if we already had whatever it is we are praying for. Activating the emotions intensifies and empowers the process. In this way we use the Law of Attraction to attract what we are seeking, by feeling and thinking it in our lives now.
One of the most effective practices I have discovered, one which seldom fails me and which is a natural extension of this Law of Attraction, is the conscious cultivation of gratitude as a state of being -- a gratitude state of mind. Often I will go for a walk in natural settings around where I live and, almost always, no matter what is going on or whatever concerns about work or issues in my relationship are demanding attention, I am moved into a state of gratitude -- a state of grace.
First I begin tuning in to the beauty around me, and then begin to feel grateful for living in such a beautiful place as the Bay Area. I begin to notice the different types of trees, then tune in to the roar of the Pacific Ocean as it passionately hurls itself onto the western edge of the American continent. Beyond a certain point I am able to see the Golden Gate, where the Pacific penetrates the continent, carving out San Francisco Bay. A bit further I encounter at a distance the dignified and striking burnt-orange bridge -- a destination for millions of tourists from all over the world. Walking along rocky cliffs which drop down several hundred feet at some places, I am surrounded by beautiful vegetation, the occasional metallic sound of a hummingbird, or the soul-inspiring sight of a hawk in suspended flight as it rides the wind currents, hovering. Inevitably, the feeling of awe and gratitude spreads or generalizes to other areas of my life, and soon I find myself in a general state of thankfulness in which all my problems are again viewed with perspective. I really appreciate the connection in the Spanish language between gratitude and grace. Gracias, the word used to say thank you, can also mean the plural of "grace" (although, in that context, the word is not typically used in the plural). What a wonderful way to say "thank you," by wishing grace upon another.
One day, years ago, I was feeling particularly lonely, conflicted, and trapped by the circumstances of my life. I found myself sitting atop a hill overlooking Golden Gate Park on one side and the Pacific on another, missing my family, friends, and freedom. I opened my notebook, labeled the top of a page "What I hate about my life," and began to furiously write down everything I could think of, beginning with the present and then naturally flowing into my past. When I could think of nothing else, I started a second list, labeled "Things I'm grateful for in my life." The list began pouring forth, and before I knew it, I had filled several pages. What dawned on me, upon completion, was that my inner experience had completely shifted. That simple practice had gotten me out of a major funk. My depression had lifted.
I recommend this as a daily action: every morning, after getting up, take a couple of minutes -- for it should not take longer than that -- and jot down even a couple of things for which you are grateful. You might even keep them together in a "gratitude journal." This simple practice could have potentially life-changing effects; particularly when done regularly, it can help to shift the perspective through which we view our lives. If writing things down is not your style, get in the habit of mentally listing the things for which you are you are grateful while in the shower, on the drive to work, or as you prepare for sleep -- whenever it works for you. It is best to pick the same time or situation so as to facilitate the formation of a habit. Cultivating a gratitude attitude will shift your life in radical and favorable ways. Cultivating a gratitude attitude is a powerful form of prayer, and a powerful way to engage the Law of Attraction. Through regular affirmation of what is working in your life, what is positive, what is growing in your life, you thereby will attract what is working, what is positive, what is growing in Life around you.
With gratitude,
Christian de la Huerta
