Gratitude As A Sacred Path To Health And Healing

Change is inevitable. The world within us and around us is always changing. We all know (at least on a subconscious level) that if we are not adapting that means we are not evolving, and if we are not growing and evolving, we are essentially (slowly) dying. We know that we must learn to adapt to the changes that arise if we are to not just survive but thrive.

If change is inevitable and is that which allows us to evolve and create happier and healthier lives, why do most of us resist change as if it were the plague? The answer lies in one simple truth:

We are wired to avoid pain more than we are wired to seek pleasure.

When we are on the precipice of a big transformational change, we are not always eager to confront that which will take us to the other side of the rainbow. The benefits that a change will bring into our lives help us orient to making that change with enthusiasm and excitement (seeking pleasure). Yet when we recognize what that change will cost us and how making that change will take away the sense of security in what is known and familiar, we often simultaneously feel a sense of dread. If we perceive the cost to be high, making that change starts to feel like a threat to our very own existence, and consequently our survival instinct gets activated. Within a matter of seconds, our previous sense of thrill is quickly replaced with a feeling of complete terror, and suddenly the benefits of making that change do not seem so appealing to our conscious mind (avoiding pain).

This is true for any change we choose to make because with every change there is a ripple effect. We know deep down that all of our actions have consequences. Changing the way we think, for example, can make our dreams that were once regarded as impossible now appear possible and restore hope in a time of hopelessness. Yet changing the way we think also simultaneously challenges our sense of identity and requires us to confront our feelings of inadequacy that we have deliberately kept locked away in our subconscious. So while a part of us feels ready to move forward and take a leap of faith, another part of us is clinging to the sense of security we find in what is familiar, even if that familiar thing that has become habitual is making us sick.

So how do we learn to face change in a way that supports our own personal evolution and makes the idea of change appear less scary and painful? The answer is surprisingly simple.

We change our perspective. We take the things that we have been scared to lose and instead see them as sacred.

                             SCARED —-> SACRED

The word sacred means to immortalize. When we make something sacred our love for it can never die. To hold something as sacred requires us to stop focusing on what we are afraid to lose and start honoring that which we have right now in the here and now. When we begin cultivating sacred energy into our lives, we experience healing at a higher level. Because we have learned to regard life itself as sacred we start seeing ourselves, our bodies, our relationships, and our values as something to be cherished and begin making healthier choices to honor ourselves, others, and what we want for our future.

 So the next time you find yourself stuck in the fear of losing that something or someone you hold dear, take that fear of loss and transmute it into a powerful practice of gratitude that calls you to savor and cherish that very thing you hold dear. Hold yourself and others with great care and love for all we ever have is this moment, and all we can do is make this moment count.