"Gratitude bestows reverence,
allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies,
those transcendent moments of awe
that change forever how we experience the world."
-- John Milton
I'm sure that I could write a whole book about gratitude, praise and appreciation and my experiences and moves toward abundance in this arena, and I may just do that. One thing is for sure, and that is that I continually find more to praise and more to be in awe of and stand in appreciation of. My cup is running over and there seems to be no end to how much deeper and more rich that appreciation can become.
At this stage in my life, I find so many things to be in appreciation of and express gratitude for every single day without exception, yet there are days like today where it is so off the chart, that it amazes me all over again.
One of the great things about reading many books is that down the road somewhere, you see something, feel something that came through in one of those books and it flashes into your mind, yet it didn't strike you at the time of reading. In the case of gratitude and appreciation, there are many, but one stood out today as a powerful influence on me many years ago and I was reminded of it again today several times. That book is Power In Praise by Merlin R. Carothers.
It came to me because this book is responsible for putting me on to a far greater path to praise than I was on prior to reading it, and from this vantage point, I've come on to other authors that have taken me further.
I was out for a long walk with Charlie today and it was windy and about 70 degrees at about 10am and the sun was out and warm, but the air was cool. It was sheer perfection. I can hardly think of a better scenario for a walk. While I was walking, I was taking in ever single thing I saw in my field of vision and praising God for all of it with such a joy in my heart and on my face. I felt one with the world. It was incredible.
As this was going on, I thought about praise, gratitude and appreciation and how fulfilled I felt as I was experiencing this. If I had 500 million in the bank, it could not have felt better, and I realized that it is something that any of us can do and feel rich and fulfilled in doing so. There wasn't a care in the world, anywhere in the world today, and it extended throughout my entire day to even now late at night.
There is power in praise to change us all. It isn't in church, although it can be, it is right where we are, where ever we are, each moment, and in each moment we have the choice to choose to appreciate; to choose to praise; to choose in-joy-ment. What an awesome great power this is and what is far more awesome than this is that it is something every one of us have available to us, rich or poor, fortunate or burdened, young or old. It crosses all boundaries and is universal, and more than this, it is without a doubt the most powerful thing I think and do.
I Am In Awe That My Joy Is Constantly Expanding.
Spread Some Joy Today--Do a random act of kindness for a co-worker or friend today. Buy them a latte or something and show them a little love.
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