Take another "Look!"

Today I am grateful for movement for my muscles and silence for my soul. 

I took a look back at previous posts I had written on this date and came across this one from 2014:  

Look!

October 02, 2014

Today I am grateful for the fall colors we are enjoying and for warmer clothes in my closet.

As I read Melody Beattie's words today in Journey to the Heart, these struck me:

"Look! See how much you've changed. See the difference in your perspective." 

I may not be feeling that exclamation point this morning, but the rest definitely applies and I owe it to gratitude practice. From self-hatred to self-acceptance. From self-pity to gratitude. From fear and ego to faith. From the downward spiral of despair to the upward spiral of hope and energy.

It didn't and doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and effort. But it does work. Focusing on my blessings somehow brings more blessings. I "look" and "see" what has maybe always been there, but with fresh eyes and an open heart.

Whether or not my "look" has an exclamation point today doesn't matter. Not every day will have that added oomph! The key is that I look for the blessings and acknowledge them. I encourage you to do the same.

In the six years since I wrote this, life has brought me opportunities for pain, healing, growth, and fresh perspective in ways I never saw coming. Life and Great Spirit have a way of doing that. 

The exclamation points come and go, but the profound shifts in perspective remain. Look for the blessings, even in the toughest times, and the lessons follow. I believe that. Do you?