Gratitude and Grace

Gratitude and Grace

by | Dec 6, 2018 | Choices, Emotions, Faith, Health, Heart Wall, Mindfulness, Relationships, Spirituality, Success

As the Peak Performance Expert, I help people remove the mental limitations that prevent them from achieving greater success.  
 
One of the main emotional blocks I see among my clients and others, time and time again, is this: a diminished capacity for gratitude.  
 
We, as a society, seem to have forgotten what it means to receive with grace. To experience and express gratitude, which is a blessing in itself. 
 
In fact, we’ve replaced the practice of gratitude with a negative mindset, that of dissatisfaction. We spend each and every hour striving to do more and be more without taking a moment, a mindful pause, to give thanks to the universe and our Creator for all the resources we already have. 
 
Instead, we barrel forward with our heads down, focused entirely on the end result rather than the present moment that is perfect just as it is. 
 
In fact, it is God who reminds us of our innate perfection. Not only is this moment perfect, but we too are made perfect in His image. God also reminds us that generosity is part of the natural order. Romans 8:32 speaks of the grace that comes with giving and receiving: 
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32
The good news is that you can beginning practice gratitude in the here and now. You can give yourself permission to feel joy in receiving the gifts of the universe. When you open your heart to this energy, you will only ever attract positive things. 
 
Greet each moment with your palms up. You can think of palms up in a figurative way, signifying an open-hearted and receptive approach toward the universe. 
 
You can also practice this position literally by sitting in meditation with your palms up. Mindfully consider the things in your life that you’re grateful for. We often take the things in our lives for granted, so now is the time to pause and give thanks for the small things that give our lives meaning will in turn bring those larger gifts we desire i.e. abundance, prosperity, peace of mind, high quality relationships, strong communication skills.  
 
When you practice gratitude, it becomes habitual, something that comes naturally to you. You are in effect creating more life-affirming energy that sustains you rather than depletes you, as I’ve explained in another article about the laws of biocentrism.  
Here’s another way of putting this elegant, simplified truth. When we appreciate even the smallest things, such as a kind gesture or the check in our hand, our liveliness quite literally appreciates. It leads to an endless, abundant energetic flow, an increase in the value and positive meaning of our lives over time. 
 
Energy attracts like energy. If you’re ready to begin the life-altering practice of transforming your current energy in new, positive, elevating ways, reach out to me. I look forward to beginning that journey with you! 
Reset: Meditation and Your Natural Set Point

Reset: Meditation and Your Natural Set Point

by | Oct 23, 2016 | Health, Heart Wall, Mindfulness

Meditation has stood the test of time. The fact that people have been meditating since the beginning of human civilization is a testament to its many benefits. Scientific research over the years has proven this. And I have spoken at length about it on this blog many times. But, did you know meditation can help you hit the reset button on your brain? Read on to find out about set points and the power of meditation.

Each of us has a set point for positive and negative emotions. The Set Point Study found that people who are naturally happy have more activity in the front part of their frontal lobes. While those who are prone to anxiety have more activity on the right side of their frontal lobe. When you go through intense events in your life, your emotions shift away from that natural set point.

For example, this study worked with naturally happy people who only recently began suffering from spinal cord paralysis. The study found that those people returned to their natural demeanor after a brief depression. Your brain chemistry will always regress to its natural set point. However, this process takes about 6 months.

It is possible to reset your natural emotional set point. This reset can be achieved through meditation. Participants in the study meditated for 1 hour a day, 6 days week. After 8 weeks, follow-ups showed a change in each participant. They were happier and became more in tune with the emotions of those around them. In addition, their immune system responses improved.With MRI scans, scientists have noticed that people who meditate have larger brains than those who don’t. Elderly people who meditate regularly also lose less gray matter and have a thicker prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is where your attention and control are determined.

Armed with this knowledge, you can make meditation a priority for your health. Ease meditation into your day, starting with 15-minute spurts. Eventually, you will work up to the 1-hour meditation session per day, 6 days per week schedule used by the participants in this study. If you are naturally anxious or depressed, you can change this set point over time with this schedule and improve your overall quality of life.

If you find it challenging to make positive changes in your life, you’re not alone. It could be due to the HeartWall. When the HeartWall is removed, you connect on a deeper level personally and professionally, experience increased health, have a greater peace consistently and are more abundant. Learn more about the HeartWall here.