| “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” – Luke 6:38 Gratitude is at the root of all contentment. Joy is the result (in my opinion) of contentment, not happiness. Happiness is happenstance – a response to circumstances being “fortunate and convenient.” Joy, on the other hand, isn’t just about the fleeting (and often elusive) happiness; it’s a deep, presiding feeling. You may pursue happiness, but you choose joy. Gratitude needs to be cultivated much like joy needs to be – it’s a chosen practice. It also doesn’t come easily or naturally – it’s a seed we choose to plant, water, fertilize, and grow! Gratitude is a wellspring for a beautiful life, and from it, generosity comes forth. It is a core, cultivated, curated value that, when nurtured, becomes ABUNDANT. Let’s analyze the verse above: 1. Giving from a place of gratitude boomerangs back – give and it’s given back to you. It’s an undeniable benefit. 2. In good measure – you can’t outgive the practice of generosity via gratitude. 3. Pressed down, meaning this cultivated habit of gratitude and generosity CAUSES a movement, a SHIFT into a new position or place. That means abstractly, your attitude, but literally, your circumstances change. JUST WATCH! 4. Pressed down, shaken together and running over – like brown sugar. (Have you ever packed brown sugar into a measuring cup?) You’re making things more compact so it can hold more. Remember this – Gratitude allows you to RAISE your energy; to greet each situation with a corrected attitude of gratitude, and this leads to a difference in how you feel. Instead of feeling ticked off or feeling sorry for yourself, you RAISE the bar and start cultivating a better experience, better results, and VIBRANCY. Vibrancy is high vibe! Resentment attracts more resentment and keeps you stuck, but gratitude breaks the cycle and sets you free! |
