20 Nov Gratitude as a Doorway to Presence

This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before. ~ Maya Angelou

At the Deep Coaching Institute we believe gratitude is a heart opening practice – one that provides access to our heart’s wisdom, courage, compassion, and resilience. It is a practice of direct felt experience – of fully taking in the beauty, the joy, and the good, available in every moment.

When the capacities of the heart are engaged, we experience life in a powerful new way, and we show up in powerful new ways too.

Every fresh new moment offers new truths to tune into, let ourselves be shaped by, and engage within a wholehearted way.  We get to co-create and dance with what’s emerging and unfolding in life. Yet our habitual everyday responses to life often close and harden our hearts, which leads to seeing only paltry options for experiencing and engaging with life.

As most of our readers will agree, today’s life is demanding, busy, fast and stressful. It is laced with difficulties and challenges at work and at home. So often our attention is hijacked to focus on worrying about these difficulties, who to blame (including ourselves), how to fix them, control them, manage them, etc.  These autopilot tendencies are often depleting and narrow our lenses.

What if we took a real pause and a new look at what’s going on? What if we developed the capacity to see and appreciate all that’s right, enough and beautiful in the midst of difficulties?

When we allow ourselves to receive the good and beautiful in and around us we suddenly become aware of how much there is to appreciate.

At any given moment, our hearts are beating and our are lungs are breathing. Stop for a moment and take in the magnificence of that. Without any effort from us our bodies know how to be alive!

All we have to do is shift our attention to more of what’s going on here and now: the sunshine, the rain, the sound of the breeze and chirping birds, our plant and animal companions, those we love and who love us, the food on our plate at every meal, a quenching sip of clean water, a comfortable bed to sleep on and cozy blankets to cover us, a warm shower…the list is endless. The choice to pay attention is ours.

As we enter into Thanksgiving Season here in the US, let us drop into the territory of our hearts. Let us find ways to receive the good around us so that our hearts may be filled, fortified, and opened like a flower in full bloom.

With immense gratitude and much love for our Deep Coaching Community,

Ipek