The Daily G.I.F.T. from The GratiDude

Hey buddy, have a great day and eat lots of bugs! I appreciate you, Spidey.

Like everything in life, it happens in small little steps, one day at a time and you look up and suddenly your whole life is different.

It’s kinda like how when you gain weight,  it seems like you don’t notice the first few pounds and by the time you do  notice you’ve gained a few,  you’re already fat.  You get on the scale and you’ve gained 12 pounds not two.

How in the hell did this happen?

Who did this to me?

And that was the bad news…. I did that to Me.

KC Historical Fact: I’ve had two Fat Phases; the first from when 18/19 and again from ages 40-45ish.

The second Fat Phase could have been permanent and a second half of life spiral.

All Praises to the patient and loving source of All Light,  Love, and Life, that told me to double down on gratitude and see what happens.

So I did.

And now I’m in the best shape of my life.

Not just my body, but more importantly, my spirit, head and heart.

I noticed the Shape Of My Heart this morning while I was making espresso at 5 AM. 

The teeny tiniest spider you could ever imagine (barely visible) came cruising out from the corner near the coffee beans towards the edge of the counter, and I was taken back by this little spider’s gumption and assertiveness.

He got to the edge of the counter and dropped a quick web to jump about 4 inches down to continue his path off of the counter and down to the floor.

I only know that he made it to the floor because I encountered him a few minutes later on the other side of the kitchen and it was definitely the same dude at about 6 inches an hour, full speed, he had crossed the vast kitchen.

I point out this little guy because as soon as I saw him, I felt the connection and I was concerned about his safety.

At that moment, I realized that my heart has gotten so big that I now have love and concern for even the smallest creatures that my eye can see.

And just like gaining weight, where you don’t notice it happening, I didn’t notice this increase in my compassion, love and an apparent heart size(what’s up Grinch? Me and you my Green Bro, growing our hearts together! love you my grumpy Dr. Seuss buddy).

It wasn’t until my awareness pointed out the tiniest of creatures is now on my love radar.

In fact, I want to tell that little spider to go back and tell all of his little spider Homies that there is a hairless monkey out here making coffee that has love for all of them.

And also while I’m at it, I’m super grateful that you guys eat lots of bugs here at the house.

Please let me know what relatively clean crumbs I can drop occasionally to keep you guys in meals, and we will continue to work together keeping the roaches at bay and everything spic and span here in the kitchen.

I can remember distinctly five years ago in the first week of my alcohol sobriety how I was determined to make gratitude grow more and more in between my meditation sessions so that it would seep into my consciousness and into all of my thoughts.  I knew that was the remedy and the antidote for the poison I had been soaking my brain and heart in, keeping my spirit and body from addressing my past traumas and grief.

The neuroscience of gratitude practices and spoken affirmations is proven to work, and all of these experiences are examples of the reality of neuroplasticity.

We have been provided, ALL OF US, the capability to rewire our brains in a more productive, healthy manner that produces thoughts that contribute to greater levels of happiness and enjoyment.

Cool, huh?

I’ll be praying for that little spider today wishing him the best because I now have the bandwidth in my heart to include that little guy, just like I have room in my Heart for YOU reading this. I do.

I salute YOU and all of the The Members of the Living Family today, from the tiniest spider to the biggest Redwood tree. What up, Fam?

Look out for the signs of your heart getting bigger when you start to notice all of the smaller things in your life that you appreciate because this is how you create a massive, giant, and enormous Attitude of Gratitude.

EVERY DAY:

Love

and

Gratitude

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