Whenever my mind is feeling overwhelmed,
It is mostly because of thinking about the future or an unfavorable situation that happened in the past and the mind ruminates over these scenarios from a place of fear or rejections.
Sometimes when we are experiencing hardship because of the circumstances life throws at us,
We panic about mind-made future scenarios.
We think if we can prepare for the worst,
We will have a better chance to deal with those situations.
Thinking about what may happen isn't actually what happens in reality.
There are many interdependent factors takes place in order for an event to unfold.
These factors are always unfolding in all different directions in each moment of our lives.
Our thoughts about the future does not turn out as we imagine them in our mind.
When we are feeling overwhelmed,
It is good to remind ourselves that the only place we can take actions is from this moment.
And this is how we deal with anything that arise.
Whatever may show up in the future,
We can handle them with wisdom and awareness of a calm and conscious mind.
A great way to remember and to bring our mind to the present moment is during our meditation practice.
While meditating,
We train our minds to focus on an object of attention and give ourselves a break from the attachments of an overthinking mind.
We can focus our attention to the sensations of our incoming and outgoing breath and sensations of the energy in our body.
The practice makes us feel grounded and when our mind is calm and present,
We start to notice the good things that are happening all around us.
A satisfying way to recall the good things is to take note of the things we can be grateful for today.
This has been a healthy practice for me to notice all that I am blessed with and truly appreciating them for what they are.
Simply by making the time to notice all the people helping us and the good fortune we are blessed with in our life,
We can feel abundant and whole.
After my morning meditation,
I make a list of things I am grateful for.
This can be a list of 10 to 5 items.
Aside from making a list,
I write down why these people,
Events and things makes me feel appreciated.
The very first time I started this practice,
I noticed that I immediately started to feel less anxious just by bringing awareness to the things I am already blessed with.
For example,
Take a moment to notice what is around you,
The place you are staying at the moment,
The chair you are sitting on or the bed you are resting on and the floor underneath you.
Notice if you see any plants outside of your window.
In case you can't see any plants at the moment,
Imagine them on your sidewalks if you live in a city or out in a park.
They are helping us to breathe fresh air with the aid of the photosynthesis process.
We cannot live if we run out of oxygen.
The access to clean water is essential to life and they are available for free.
How would we feel if these necessary items were not available anymore?
It would be impossible for us to function.
There are several benefits.
According to an article I read on Psychology Today,
Gratitude improves self-esteem.
With gratitude,
We learn to celebrate other people's success and reduce social comparison.
Gratitude increases mental strength.
The practice not only reduces stress,
But it also helps overcoming trauma.
Gratitude opens the door to more relationships and to help maintain and flourish them.
Gratitude improves physical health.
Grateful people experience fewer aches and pain and report feeling healthier than other people.
Gratitude improves psychological health.
Gratitude reduces emotions that are toxic to us,
Such as envy,
Resentment,
Frustration,
And regret.
Gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.
Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression.
Grateful people are more likely to behave in a pro-social manner,
Even when others behave less kindly.
Grateful people sleep more soundly.
Writing a gratitude journal helps us sleep better by reflecting on what we can be grateful for each day.
Reminding ourselves what we already have takes away the feeling of lack and we can focus on what is present.
By noticing what is here,
We can feel whole.
With a mind that is aware of feeling abundant,
We attract more good things in our life.
With regular practice,
Noticing of the things we are blessed with becomes our default mind state.
I invite you to become aware of this practice and notice how it makes you feel.
We can feel more joyful from knowing we are taken care of.
The universe certainly loves all of us and has more than enough for all of us in order to live an abundant life.
I wish you good health and a peaceful mind.
Thank you so much for listening.
