One of the most frustrating moments in life, is when, we do not see our dreams transforming into reality Immediately or in some foreseeable future. We become discouraged before we have a moment of realization, that dream, is working its way through winding paths, turning the city corners, into our lives.

This phase of “earnestly waiting” is called the “in between” stage of life; from dream to reality. These are the moments we must instinctively listen – have faith in our work and ourselves with a strong dose of gratitude for our dedication!

When discouragement has imbued our senses, we fail to see the strength of our conviction, the original trajectory – the passion when starting the quest of our vision. We humans falter into our own rejection.  As we stand facing our original plan. This moment, is the structure of gratitude where we must dig deep, for the Grit we must find within ourselves, knowing we will achieve our vision!

“There must be gratitude for all we have done, to achieve what will come.”

Just as the squirrel gathers nuts for the winter, not knowing what will come, we work and endure, project through instinct, vision, skill or what we see our future to be.

There are many opportunities coming our way and we must pull ourselves out of the negative mindset that awaits all around in seemingly innocent trappings. The TV-news, online headlines, venting complaining or blaming people. How can we circumvent the barrage of negativity and still be compassionate and aware of our global circumstances?

How are we to be grateful when nothing warrants our appreciation?

One day I was sitting with my IT guru Jimmy, he is awesome, 30 years my junior. I was befuddled while explaining my usual jovial demeanor was clearly amiss. I felt miserable, drained, sour, a dowager – worse these downtrodden feelings crept into the following day. Remembering the previous day I spent a few hours visiting with a friend. Shocking to my normal demeanor being upbeat. I was so sour, just being around my beloved Sade, my Blue Heeler, who is a treasured sweetheart did not give way to happiness, this was befuddling. I wanted to jump out of my body, the sour slime seem to replace my entire being. A Yuk factor, and why? My mood was absolutely illogical.

Jimmy simply stated, “you had a bad energy hangover”.

He was right, as I listened with an open heart, not with judgement. The veil lifted and I was smiling and laughing at these six little words. These six words were magical and filled with authenticity.

There are many morbid people in this world, they do not hear the voice inside to be grateful for their accomplishments or others who bring smiles and opportunities. My friend is one of these morose people who has lost her gratitude, and I can only handle her in minutia doses.

This morose quality does not denote these people are poor or disadvantage in the least. Many of these morbid types earn a great living; fact being my friend makes a great monetarily living, having multiple homes and cars; escapes everyday life with a myriad of vacations in foreign lands and locally. As Jimmy says, “she makes enough to be happy. Instead is a “Bad energy hangover.”

On the other side of the spectrum we have those who struggle to find a job, a minimal paying job with MBA degrees, who are smiling. They hug their child or dog, most times do not have $3.00 in their pocket and yet are so happy and “grateful.” For what? There is something else they hear inside.

I can’t answer everyone’s reason, but there are happy people in this world. They say thank you, and smile. They speak with happy voices. They are grateful for being in a rush. A flat tire detours them off the road and a stranger comes and fixes it for them. They are happy with a little life, or a lot of life; they have a sense of gratitude. They hear life in different tones inside and view life differently. This is call “resilience.”

The mere fact that a smile is equal to the energy of panic, both can change an entire room in minutes. One will recline, allowing communication with strangers, reciprocity fills the air with ideas and exchanges for connections in future dates. Panic will clear a room in seconds, hopefully with no one being hurt.

I am smiling while writing for there – somewhere outside my window, is a beautiful song-bird who has been singing for the last several hours. The melody is enchanting. I cannot see this bird, nonetheless it landed in a nearby tree, and sang for the entire afternoon.

How we use our senses in hearing or filtering out our world will greatly depend on our handling of our mood for the day. It could had gone terribly wrong this day,  for the WIFI where I often write was not working. I had to collect my computer, glasses, Sade and her water, drove to a new location. Here an unseen bird sings the afternoon, I begin I write with a huge smile!

 I want to be HAPPY now, so that my future is AWESOME.”

What makes me happy is being happy and being happy equates to being grateful. It is no longer a conscious action, rather a cellular involuntary response to life.

Life could be viewed as harsh in these moments: moving is never fun! Finding a new home in Colorado while the area where I wish to live is overflowing with an influx of people, ergo a severe housing shortage. I know I will achieve my goals meeting an entire new set of connections. Connections means a new life of opportunities!

When friends call and ask how is it going? I say I am working on everything at once. Writing my speeches, connecting with new people by way of other new connections. Some say prayers for me, others offer OMs or meditations. Wonderful offerings of friendship, my senses are livened.

The importance here is not giving into negative thoughts or statements of what I cannot see around the corner – or over the Colorado state line. What is important to focus on is: gathering people to help transport my Arabians – having the vet checks and paperwork to move home over state line – finding a temporary place to live with two Arabian horses – what treasured furnishings will stay in New Mexico storage area. There are always questions of  the “in between” while moving forward towards any future. A difference in perception: allowing and trusting in my abilities of what has not happened, while I work towards my goals.

The point is to be focused until the end result has been achieved. This is a form of gratitude through listening to instincts and having faith in myself.

Why am I so assured of my abilities? Years of practice and results. The 3 D’s of life.

1) Determination

2) Drive

3) My Dog! (and Arabians).

I live and breathe for my family and will succeed for all of us. My inner being is alight with gratitude through a simple causation; listening.

As I view the landscape of our nation in the last fourteen years, many have been devastated. Their losses have been crippling. Many have lost their homes and jobs, families have been destroyed, self-esteem deteriorated; confidence and ability to be resilient in the face of tragedy has eroded. The suffering has been calamitous with mind boggling deprivation.

We have had long needless wars. Our soldiers come home broken from disabilities. We see veterans on the streets begging for food and money, a warm place to sleep.  Since WWI through WWII, Vietnam, any war, this has been the undeniable truth of our nation. We do not respect those who have given their lives, who when coming home to be more broken.

Worse I see less and less empathy for homeless, the hungry, or those who have lost their homes in the DSO debacles from Wall Street Hedge funds and fraudulent AAA real estate investiture. In 2002 I saw the first signs of foreclosures with flexible rate mortgages, warning a few people to get out, take what little funds available and covert their loans to conventional mortgages.

In these moments I reflect, “it is not that we have lost human value, instead; have ever valued humans or acknowledged them for their personal strife in life?” A strong statement. Nonetheless, look at our world. Has it changed? Has our world changed since King Henry VIII? Has it changed since Islamic values were the power over the lands? People still are  warring conflicts.

Wild animals offer more gratitude and respect to one another through acknowledgment in body language, through the hunt and kill, each part of life shows gratitude, albeit a hierarchy with a great leadership.

Animals do not have laws that cheat the lesser. They do not erect buildings and preach to one another of a better race or religious sec. Animals are equal in stature, the strong do survive in the animal kingdom, not by greed, rather through skill and living harmonious valuing the earth. For these few facts, all of nature and what will be left in the animal kingdom will out live humans, unless we change to a more gratifying milieu of life.

To adduce specifically, a herd of elephants and how they care for each other and their young. A herd of wild mustangs attempting to band together and yet the cruelty by way of banishment, we are executing our American wild horse heritage and its herds, killing off many through starvation, helicopter trappings that run our mustangs to death, killing or separating the newborn foals, each dying in opprobrious terror. All is the same in which we treat our human brethren.

View how each of these animals communicates, to listen! They live by the laws of nature. We humans live by way of man-made laws created out of fear. Our laws only serve a few.

What does all this have to do with gratitude? We appreciate when the sun comes up each day and warms our bodies during cold winters. We welcome the rains during the growth seasons for our farm land.

The coyotes who eat the mice that might overrun the granaries. The wild mountain lions who keep a balance in nature in order the herds do not over graze.

There is a natural balance in nature we humans overlook. A natural Gratitude.

Loss of gratitude will lead humanity wayward, worse than any war we have seen. We might reach a level of soullessness.

This is where gratitude plays into our benevolence. Instead of just offering some coins or a dollar bill to the homeless or stranded person, park the car, get out and ask that person, or couple with a dog how did they get there and, what are their needs. Offer to truly help! Fifteen minutes from our twenty-four hours in one day. Do we not all have at least that much to give? A few moments given to humanity showing gratitude.

The other day I saw a man walking a three legged dog, who was his best friend. They were homeless and undoubtedly this man and his three legged dog are inseparable. They way he holds his dog and how his dog gazes at the mans’ face is the purest example of how much appreciation and lover there is between the two. Homelessness, is harsh, and it does not affect their love or the relationship they have for each other. It would be a life well lived to be warm and have a roof over their heads with food in the refrigerator, nevertheless, it would not change the love and respect they have for each other.  People are worth a place of clemency in our hearts, where there is no judgment.

The song-bird continues to sing outside the window! I continue to smile. The sun still shines! My Sade is by my side resting from her continual Service.

Smile, you have a secret that you are spreading, it is gratitude. Some people do not have even a mouth to smile with and yet, I see them smile from the inside.

Do this simple little act for yourself and others. The next time you are walking down a street, Main Street, a side-street, your neighborhood, a grocery store – wear a simple little smile and watch the faces around you begin to glow with a smile in return. You just passed along gratitude! It is infectious, the kind of plagues this world of 7 billion could benefit from.

Let us all start a “smile campaign”, SMILES of Gratitude!

 

DEDICATED TO BEHAVIORAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF LIFE. ©

 Thank you for Donating through PayPal !!

About the Author: MicheleElys is a Neurobehaviorist ~ Writer ~ Educator ~ Keynote Speaker.

“Concussions are a huge drain in the workplace!” 4-6 week training program relieving the agony of TBIs and concussions. 

Founder of NBR [neural behavior recognition]. A recovery model for Trauma/TBI Improvement, Recovery to maintenance, Need a Consult? Connect with MicheleElys email LinkedIn,  MicheleElys.com 

MicheleElys All Rights Reserved©