Gratitude – Page 4

Happy 4th of July!

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

On this day of celebration take a few moments to honor what it truly means to be free. There was a cost to the freedoms we now enjoy and with that freedom comes a certain responsibility. To truly be free means you honor and respect what you have. You take responsibility for your words and actions. When you are free you allow others their freedom as well. Freedom does not give you the right to judge or have power over others because even if you disagree, they have the right to freely express who they are.

We are fortunate here in the States. There are other places in the world where tyranny reigns, women are not equal and people are not allowed to have their own religious beliefs. There are places where people do not have freedom of speech, the right to vote and in some cases they are not even allowed their free-will.

Cherish your freedom and take a few moments in gratitude for the freedoms you have. Look inside and see what freedom means to you. Let our freedoms include love and tolerance of others. Take a moment to give thanks to those who fought (and are still fighting) for our freedoms. Take a moment to give thanks and honor those who paid the ultimate price with their lives.

Yes we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Let us think about how fortunate we really are to have those rights. Then of course….get the party started! How will you celebrate your freedom today?~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com
Daily Muse Home Page

“Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.”~Henry Van Dyke

Giving thanks is not the same as having gratitude and appreciation. Having gratitude and appreciation is about embracing, owning and “having” those things which have manifested in your life.

Gratitude is the inner feeling. The receiving and acknowledgement, if you will, for those things you already have. Having gratitude and appreciation is an inner expression of peace and contentment. In every sense gratitude and appreciation are vibrational messages felt deep in your soul that have the ability to shift your perception from negative to positive.

Giving thanks differs in that by giving thanks you are expressing in words and/or by deeds that which you feel inside. By giving thanks in any form whether it be a simple, heartfelt, verbal “thank you”, shouting thank you from the rooftops, writing a note, donating your time or money to help those less fortunate or saying prayer you are showing your gratitude and appreciation.

Often we are silent with the people we love. Often we do not thank those for whom we have the deepest gratitude and appreciation for and other times we do not give back as much as we probably should. Why do we hold back the heartfelt thank you s? Why do we not express and show how grateful we are every day? Only you can answer the question; Are you thanking those who mean the most? Are you giving back a bit of what you have been given?

Thanksgiving is truly a time to visit your inner world and find gratitude and appreciation for all that you are, all that you have, and for those who helped you with lessons along the way. Say thank you to those who may not know how grateful you are. Give thanks for your abundance. The greatest expression of living in abundance is giving. Many are struggling right now and your thanks-giving might be the very thing they need to find hope and a moment of peaceful joy. Even silent giving says thank you to the world but it is still important to say thank you.

“To give thanks in solitude is enough. Thanksgiving has wings and goes where it must go.
Your prayer knows much more about it than you do.”~Victor Hugo

Giving thanks brings balance to gratitude and appreciation. Say thank you for what is on the inside! Why not make it a daily practice? Start now and by the end of the year you will create a beautiful habit of thanking those you are grateful to!

I would be remiss if I did not say thank you to all of YOU. To my family, friends and readers, my gratitude and appreciation is endless and I thank you for filling my heart with love through the love and support you’ve shown me. Thank you for reading and sharing and caring. We are creating a healing vibration that cascades out and touches others. Thank you with all my heart! Happy Thanksgiving! Bountiful blessings to you and yours!~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com
Daily Muse Home Page