Feel a bit weird saying these things? Yep, well, that’s how used to your negative head ‘stories’ you are and, like learning an instrument, this is practice.
Notice the thoughts that get you down or angry or in a spin and choose to switch to something you’re excited about. And I’m not saying that you’re to forget about the stress, anxiety, hurt, pain or trauma in life – this, too, is real. We must learn to recognize and work through these feelings, and train ourselves to not get caught up in them any more than is necessary.
Repetition of positive new thought patterns, over time, gets them logged into your unconscious; you will start to believe these new words and they will start changing your worldview in a big way. And what you give out you get back – offering out gratitude brings more things back to you that you can be grateful for. Like I said, it’s about changing the record for good – for your good!
If this sounds a little hippy to you, don’t worry. I thought so too. When I got taught this simple little practice originally, I was sceptical. That’s how attached to my negative mindset I was. I didn’t believe I even could be grateful for life. I wasn’t aware of the concept of gratitude practice. Over time I started to get it and now I do my gratitude warrior practice (see below) as part of my daily evening meditation and it’s changed my life. I highly suggest you give a whirl.
Warrior practice
Every night before you go to sleep, sit in or on your bed. Close your eyes and bring to mind three things you’re grateful for that have happened during the day. It can be anything. The smallest thing – such as hearing some birdsong – or something big – such as a baby being born – anything. Just list three things. See those things in your mind and feel gratitude for them happening.
Some people like to keep a gratitude journal, and write three things down every day so they can look back over a year and recognize more than a thousand things they have been grateful for in the past 365 days. That’s a lot of gratitude!
After a relatively short time, notice how your mindset starts to gradually shift. Observe your mind and how it starts to subtly change, how it starts to focus more on the good things rather than on the crappy things that can happen in your day. This, in itself, is a huge thing to be grateful for, and can be added to your gratitude practice for that day!
18. BECOME A GIVER
There is a new consciousness growing on planet Earth. A heart-based consciousness that’s one of unconditional love. And what does the heart do? It GIVES.
The old consciousness of taking from the planet without thinking about the consequences is soooo on its way out! Learning how to give without any necessary need to receive is the new way. It is a complete change from the old way of doing things. It’s new and it’s here to stay. So get with the plot. And learn how to be a ‘giver’. For the Earth wants givers on it.
Many of us are conditioned (by society) into a behaviour of take, take, take. We ‘take’ everywhere we go – we look for what we can get, not what we can give. This is the old way. It is why things are not working out on planet Earth right now. And this is what needs to change. It’s about you and me taking charge of our behaviour, and making the decision to change how we are and how we act in the world.
Once we can learn how to give, as our life’s work, and to people around us everywhere – we will start seeing some super amazing changes happening around us. And when we start living a life that that we enjoy, we attract people of a similar ilk. We will meet more and more people on the same path – people who are into healing, into rising consciousness on the Earth, people who are into living a positive life. Usually these are people that have made the transition from living a life of ‘just taking’ to a life of giving.
The amazing thing about giving is that when we give we receive back at the same time. It feels good to give. We receive so much just from the very act of doing it! Whereas when we take, well, we don’t really receive anything back, do we? Our hungry egos often just want more and more and more. So, the very act of giving helps our self-centred, ego behaviour to be replaced with an ‘actually, I’ve got enough’ kinda mentality. This helps us become happy with what we’ve got rather than always seeking more. And when we become happy with what we’ve got, life becomes much simpler. Much simpler.
Start giving the best and most beautiful version of yourself to the planet. It wants it. YOU want it. I want it. We ALL want it.
Warrior practice
1. Go and GIFT something to someone you don’t know. For no particular reason other than just the act of giving. This could be in person – paying for someone’s coffee or basket of shopping – or in the form of a donation of goods, time or money.
Feel how good it feels to give something away and expect nothing in return. This is called ‘unconditional love’. It’s what we are actually all made of.
2. Go give someone a hug, Right now. (If you’re feeling brave, make that someone a person who you don’t like, or have ‘issues’ with. Help resolve these issues with a nice big hug. I dare you.)
3. Start a new practice of always starting out by giving something in any situation, everywhere you go. Be it a smile, hug, cup of tea or offer of help in some way. Watch how well people respond to this.
19. PRACTISE FIERCE LOVE
Fierce love is an energy that cuts through. It can cut through the shit and, in this day and age, let’s not beat about the bush, there’s a fair amount of crap flying around. Other people’s ‘stuff’. Sometimes we just need to cut through the shit, don’t we? Fierce love is about cutting through non-truth and other people’s ‘stuff’ to get to the highest truth of any situation.
Learning and mastering the art of wielding fierce love is a super awesome skill to have. It makes you unmessable-with. It allows you to get what you want to get done DONE. Without drama and stress. Without problems. Why? Because it’s clean, true, authentic love from the deepest level of your being. Love cuts through everything, dissolving fear, frustration, creative blocks – anything in its path.
Other people are awesome. But they also carry a lot of ‘stuff’. Their stuff is what can block our mission at times. It requires a warrior mentality these days to really get good stuff done in the world, and a warrior knows how to wield fierce love when appropriate.
Practising fierce love is like carrying a sword of light – an energetic ‘sword’ – that enables you to cut through any negative energies in your way. Blockages and hindrances can all fall away when fierce love is asserted. Not in an aggressive and insensitive way, but in a way that says, ‘I’m going to push through the crap to get this happenin’…’
This world can feel full of resistance. There are still many people kicking around who don’t want to accept the changes that need to take place on the Earth. They are still gripping on to the old ways with all their might. That said, I believe that we have now entered the age of FIERCE LOVE. And this is an energy that is sorely needed here on the Earth right now. An energy that really wants to be here, blasting through the darkness in order to change things for the higher good.