Perpetual Gratitude

One of the greatest gifts this earthly life experience holds for us is the potential for perpetual gratitude. And, as the game is played, it remains one of the most elusive.

Seems the older we get, the more potential we have to enjoy the experiences that gratitude holds. We get wiser and clear on our purpose. Our children grow up and have some of their opportunities for joy exposed with graduations and other adult privileges. Soon, they are parents as well, and we spend holidays and vacations remembering back to a simpler time while enjoying the present moment with the grand kids and reflecting on our life to that point.

For many, that is the dream. For others, it seems nothing could be further from their reality. So which came first? Was it the gratitude that led to the bliss or was it the bliss that led to the gratitude?

Still, others have had the reverse experience. Drama and challenge early in their lives led to pain and hurt which, in turn, have led to areas of disappointment and bitterness for a lifetime. These emotions seemingly bonded with the individuals and remain there today, continuing their pattern of hopelessness and dysfunction.

It’s amazing what we can get addicted to at such an early age and how we spend the rest of our life dealing with those very addictions that seeped into our consciousness as children. We need to “unwire” those beliefs to live a functional and prosperous life.

There are days where perpetual gratitude is easy to access…and others where it is nowhere to be found. Usually, it can be found in the smile of a child or a tree shedding its colorful leaves this time of year. I find it in running around the playground with my youngest and observing him totally embracing his day. He has become my role model…instead of the other way around.

His sense of newness and the appreciation he holds for a stray puppy or a colorful leaf is a reminder to me of all that is and all that can be. Instead of focusing on an unpleasant egoic deadline, I focus on his effervescence and am reminded about how simple this game of life can be.

Perhaps you, too, can find a higher level of gratitude this season. It is my prayer for you that access to this deep and profound sense of peace is yours this Holiday season. Whether it is in the eye of a child or a volunteer opportunity at a local food bank, I wish you the very best in expressing the “child” within. Your sense of well-being and your relationship with the world depends on it.

Mike Connor

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"You are the only one in charge of your life. The way you run your life or hand your power to others is determined by your thoughts, your actions and your level of consciousness. " Mike Connor

"Whatever we focus on is what we create. You are too smart to buy into the premise that pain and suffering is your lot in life" Mike Connor

"You get to “pick” anything you want. My suggestion is that you “pick.” You don’t have anything new because you haven’t chosen anything new yet! We are so afraid of failing that we stay stuck where we are and all of a sudden it’s 20 years later and we are in the land of regret." Mike Connor