Thanksgiving Day stirs up a variety of images – Pilgrims – Native Americans - Turkey – Black Friday – Traffic. All of these images are interesting in the physical emotional energy dimension. Depending on your perspective these images can be positive or negative emotional energy experiences.
A colleague told me that Self-Help groups describe Thanksgiving as the first element of the Trinity of Hell, the second being Christmas, and the third being New Years’.[i] Each of these holidays stirs up a history (baggage) of life experiences; much of the baggage is with the people that we are gathering with on these holidays. Some of the baggage is referential, that is, the people & experiences that make up the baggage are no longer in our life but their image and our experience with them still shades or frames our view of what we are experiencing today. For a person in an addictive life style sometimes the baggage that they hold from the past makes it difficult for them to allow appreciation in the present. Indeed the encumbered baggage magnifies itself and blocks the energy of gratitude and blessing from entering their experience. A moment of thanksgiving becomes a stimulus to feel negative emotional energy, scarcity, need, pain, and disconnection.
If we pull back from the “busy activities of the holidays, the seductive advertising, the baggage from prior experiences (especially the negative experiences) we can easily find another dimension to singling out a national day of Thanksgiving. If we view thanksgiving as an expression of Gratitude, of Appreciation we begin moving into the highest level of emotional energy[ii], namely the spiritual or source dimension of emotional energy.
The dictionary gives some interesting definitions to appreciation: “recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something … , understanding of the aesthetic value of something;”[iii] “[to] recognize … [to] be fully aware of … [to] hold dear … [to] increase the value of.”[iv]
If we explore various spiritual and business writings, they mirror the added value that appreciation can bring to our lives.
So what are the elements of gratitude, of appreciation? I would suggest that first gratitude/appreciation is experiential. It is a state that we find ourselves in right now in the present, or not. It is experiential in that whatever our life is at the moment we are able to experience and value who we are, where we are and with whom we are, right in the present moment. If we can be fully aware and hold dear our present live experience, it puts us in a positive state of emotional energy. It connects us with Source emotional energy however we can understand source. Once we are fully holding dear our experience, everything in our life manifests more positively. A joy, a peace comes upon us. In this state of being our becoming (our ability to create) increases. We think more clearly, we relate with enthusiasm, we become more creative in shaping our experience in the physical dimension.
Appreciation is allowing the free flow of our emotional energy to radiate from us. Everything we are experiencing takes on a new vibrancy. We see a connectedness that allows us to move away from people who are vibrating negative thoughts and energies.[v] Our connectedness allows us to create, to thrive and to move toward people who are radiating positive energy.
I have experienced many turbulent moments in my life, negative relationships, rejections, failures, etc. In the past they would become moments of depression, anxiety, and basically led to a state of ugly negative feelings. In the course of my life, I have learned many things about growing and experiencing life. During the last year and one half, I have learned that by looking at the perceived negative experience (pain, need) with others, I can accept the experience and more importantly realign myself with a sense of continuing adventure. It is important to note that I said look at the negative experience, not embrace it, not hold onto it as a chore that I must endure to improve my life. By judging or personalizing (deifying) the pain or hurt I lock myself into an unappreciating stance, into a negative energy flow. Looking at the negative experience, however, allows us to accept the experience and choose a different path. Choosing a different path, a positive energy path of appreciation, appreciation even for the person who may have disappointed, creates space for blessing to come to us.
I am very blessed by many people and experiences. I am grateful that
· My son, Thomas has dealt with many challenges, successfully completed college and is thriving in a business career.
· I am in a relationship with Gwen who is a beautiful, intelligent, caring woman.
· I am redirecting my career toward my essential being, returning to being an emotional energy consultant, mentor to help people find their bliss and their path. I will make an announcement when arrangements for my office space are complete.
· I am grateful for my avocation of photography that has helped me to see things from a beautiful perspective and has helped others to see what they had not seen.
· I am grateful for my teaching experiences.
· I am grateful for all my friends and colleagues.
· I am grateful for all the people and experiences in my life that have helped me to become the person that I am.
· I am grateful that I have been able to transform even the negative experiences with people or events into positive growth experiences that have helped me to be more fully alive and appreciative to all that creation offers
John Tierney (Tierney 2011) in a recent article in the NY Times, indicates that psychology is beginning to see gratitude in a significant role “… Cultivating an ‘attitude of gratitude, has been linked to better health, sounder sleep, less anxiety and depression, higher long term satisfaction with life and kinder behavior toward others, including romantic partners.” For those who would like a clinical psychological discussion of the benefits of appreciation please refer to the article in Clinical Psychology review referenced at the end of this article. [vi]
[i] Conversation with Jim
[ii] I explain Emotional Energy on different levels in my workshops: Working with Emotional Energy; Anger Management; The Kiss and the baggage. I also explain and help a person use their emotional energy to achieve their bliss during my individual consultations and mentoring.
[iii] Apple Mac Laptop dictionary
[iv] Iphone Dictionary
[v] People who are in a negative vibrating mode may not be in a receiving stance toward abundance and gratitude at that moment in their life. When and if they open up themselves to the present moment and appreciation, they will find other positive energies to enhance their existence.
[vi] For a clinical discussion of the positive dimensions of gratitude you can read the article “Gratitude & well-being: A review & theoretical integration” Wood, A. M., J. J. Froh, et al. (2010). "Gratitude & well-being: A review & theoretical integration." Clinical Psychology Review 30, #7, November 2010: 890 - 905.
Psychological studies examining the feeling of gratitude & impact upon personality behavior
Citations:
Author highlights studies that show how gratitude has a major positive impace on the lives of people including those with serious limiting medical conditions.
Psychological studies examining the feeling of gratitude & impact upon personality behavior
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