Let’s put down our phones and pay attention.
Appreciating and Honoring Through Our Attention
Last week one of our members shared a post to our FB group about gratitude as a result of paying attention. (Thank you, Forest!) And as you all know I am all about the three part gratitude process: Notice, Appreciate, Share. That first piece, Noticing, is exactly what the post is talking about. That mindfulness piece is so important, being fully present in our lives, if only for a moment.
I always talk about how we can’t be grateful for something if we don’t notice it. But I love how the post takes it further by saying the act of paying attention is the gratitude practice itself. Take this poetic quote:
To see the full miraculous essentiality of the color blue is to be grateful with no necessity for a word of thanks. ~David Whyte
It really resonates with me because in this day and age paying attention, fully immersed in the moment, is such a rare occurrence. I can see how giving our full attention is honoring and is, therefore, showing appreciation.
As I pondered this, I realized I needed to practice it. So I walked away from my glowing screen. I paused my music and looked around the room. Immediately I was drawn to the magnificent leaf of my split-leaf philodendron. I kneeled down to get down to its level so I could really be with it.
And in a split second I was transported to the brightness of the yellow green leaf with sunlight shining through it.
The veins of the leaf, strong and bold and many.
Those veins filled with the light of the sun, carrying everything the plant needs to thrive.
Peaking through the back of the leaf a witness to its strength.
A witness to its life force.
Inhale.
Exhale.
This. This is what it means to BE grateful. To be generous with our time and bodies our minds and attention. To honor with our time and bodies and minds and attention. To notice. Really notice. To appreciate. And now, I share this beautiful experience with you. To open my heart and connect with you.
Notice. Appreciate. Share.
It’s a way of being.
Being unappreciative might mean we are simply not paying attention.
~David Whyte
What are you grateful to see as possible for your life right now?
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[su_note note_color=”#e7e7e7″ text_color=”#686767″ radius=”0″] My gratitude journey started in May 2011 and continues to this day. Thank you for being a part of it! A daily gratitude practice is simple. Write down three things you are grateful for each day. Download your free GratitudeGuide. My clients focus on gratitude and learn from their successes to make the positive changes they want in their lives. You can too. Call me to set up our first meeting 505.333.9336. [/su_note]