How Gratitude and Willie Nelson Can Change Your Life

When it comes to words of wisdom and advice for living a grateful life, we typically find resolution from the likes of Buddha, Mother Teresa, Deepak Chopra, and Willie Nelson.  Wait, who?  Yep, here’s a brief but profound quote from the outlaw of country music himself:

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around”  -- Willie Nelson

Short, sweet, and to the point.  But it’s also easier said than done; to be grateful that is. Most of us

generally think that gratitude is something you say out loud, like “thank you”, but gratitude is deeper than that.  It’s something you feel, but it must be practiced, recognized, and shared.  And the more you practice gratitude, the less effort it becomes.  Here are ten examples of gratitude:

·         Gratitude is a conscious effort to appreciate what you already have, not what you don’t have, and certainly not worrying about what others have.  

·         Gratitude is also about valuing what’s good in your life and not dwelling on the bad stuff. Most of us have had, or will have had misfortunes at some point in our life. 

·         Gratitude is about giving credit to others, but not discounting your own achievements. You can find gratitude in winning or succeeding without the burden of humility.

·         Gratitude drives your desire to do more – for yourself and for others – not to be complacent.  

·         Gratitude is listening to a story that’s been told and retold by a family member or friend, but listening just as intently this time as you did the first time.  

·         Gratitude is sieving sand through your fingers on the beach, appreciating each grain.

·         Gratitude is the quiet time you have to sit and appreciate something – a good book, a warm drink, a letter from a friend.

·         Gratitude is acknowledging a smile from a stranger you pass on the street.

·         Gratitude is an open mind and the ability to learn and grow intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally.

·         Gratitude is being alive, healthy, able bodied and able minded, and being thankful for whatever degree each is in, because it can always be worse.   

What’s your definition of gratitude?  How do you practice it?  How do you share it?   The fact is we have so much to be grateful for.  For example, this beautiful, mild climate we’ve been experiencing throughout the month of November.  It’s hard to believe we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving this week! 

So as you prepare to gather with friends and family on Thursday, take a long quiet moment this week to think about what it means to be grateful. And think about those pioneers of gratitude (Willie Nelson included) and the conscious decisions they made to care more about what they have than what they don’t. 

From all of us here at Movement Works, we wish you and your family peace, love, spirit, and mindfulness this Thanksgiving holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Time for Change

Last weekend we set our clocks back an hour to accommodate for Daylight Saving Time.  Every year we change our clocks back one hour in the fall to, well, make good use of daylight.  There are many explanations out there for why we switch our clocks back, including accommodating farm work, conserving energy, or helping early morning commuters.  No matter the reason, think of the changing time as a time to introduce change in your life.

Don’t get stuck in the unstuckable. Everything is changeable. Transition is inevitable, and it’s necessary to keep life fresh. This is a great time of the year to take inventory of your life, your dreams, your hopes, and your fears.  To make changes in your life, you first have to be aware of what your goal is. According to Deepak Chopra, “Consciousness is the moving force behind all life changes, but it can’t help you until you offer a direction.”  Here, he offers 10 steps to get you

started: 

1.  Have a clear and focused intention.

2.  Meditate on your intention, and visualize what you want to achieve.

3.  Feel the resistance inside yourself in order to get a realistic, successful outcome.

4.  Let go of your intention and don’t try to predict the future.

5.  Don’t let insecurity, past failure, inertia, doubt, or anxiety hold you back.

6.  Plan what you need to do and what you actually can do, and share it with someone you trust.

7.  Act on what is truly feasible.

8.  Fix the small things first so you’ll quickly see the positive.

9.  Monitor what’s happening inside and don’t be too hard on yourself if you take a step backward.

10.  Connect with whatever makes you feel trusting and safe.

Whether it’s a change in careers, a change in lifestyle, a change in health and exercise, change is good and we should welcome it…even if it comes an hour earlier in the morning!

Did you know…that if you want to make changes in your life, the best place to start is with your body?  Dance, movement, and yoga can help you navigate emotional situations through moving,

stretching, strengthening, holding poses, and breathing, helping you create a more focused and disciplined pathway to change.  Movement Works offers many levels of yoga, dance, and martial arts for all age and skill levels.

Visit our website at www.mvmtworks.com for an up-to-date schedule with class descriptions, faculty information, and class times.