The Incredible Power of Gratitude
Caregiving is hard work, no question. But there are also incredibly special, richly rewarding moments to be experienced in this role, as it is a gift of love from one human being to another. I'm going to propose something you may initially resist--giving thanks. Yes, I can hear your protest (accompanied by an eye rolling sigh of exasperation, perhaps?) as you say, "You've got to be kidding! What do I have to be thankful for????" Well, I'm going to ask you to answer that very question. In detail. In writing. Daily.
This is not a new idea, as many of the great masters throughout the ages have known and shared the power of gratitude. German theologian and philosopher Meister Eckhart even went so far as to say, "If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'Thank You', that would suffice."
You can keep it very simple. Author Sarah Ban Breathnach, in her landmark book Simple Abundance: a Daybook of Comfort and Joy listed gratitude as the first & most important skill needed-- bedrock of the path to creating simple abundance and excavating the authentic self. She suggests creating a Gratitude Journal to record five things for which you are grateful every night, as you go to bed.
I've used this tool and found it very helpful in shifting my focus from what I may feel I'm lacking, to what I already have. It is not easy, sometimes, to find even five things for which to offer thanks, when you are enduring the grueling demands of being a family caregiver, but if you can open your heart to listen for the whispers of gratitude, you will find it can shift your perspective more powerfully and surely than almost anything else you can do.
Try using a Gratitude Journal for a fixed period of time -- say one month. Let your conscious mind be open to a change to a happier outlook. There are always things in your life for which to be grateful. You might also like the Simple Abundance Companion Book.
This is not a new idea, as many of the great masters throughout the ages have known and shared the power of gratitude. German theologian and philosopher Meister Eckhart even went so far as to say, "If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'Thank You', that would suffice."
You can keep it very simple. Author Sarah Ban Breathnach, in her landmark book Simple Abundance: a Daybook of Comfort and Joy listed gratitude as the first & most important skill needed-- bedrock of the path to creating simple abundance and excavating the authentic self. She suggests creating a Gratitude Journal to record five things for which you are grateful every night, as you go to bed.
I've used this tool and found it very helpful in shifting my focus from what I may feel I'm lacking, to what I already have. It is not easy, sometimes, to find even five things for which to offer thanks, when you are enduring the grueling demands of being a family caregiver, but if you can open your heart to listen for the whispers of gratitude, you will find it can shift your perspective more powerfully and surely than almost anything else you can do.
Try using a Gratitude Journal for a fixed period of time -- say one month. Let your conscious mind be open to a change to a happier outlook. There are always things in your life for which to be grateful. You might also like the Simple Abundance Companion Book.
