Gratitude: R is for…

        is for reflection

It may well be that I’ve been thinking a lot about reflection because of mirrors.  My husband, in all his science-teaching wisdom participates in a weekly “science club” and our house, or more accurately our garage-turned-into-science-lab is a hub of strange projects, experiment speculations, and interesting fun.  Something that required the use of mirror tiles meant that as an adjunct project we’ve been taking half-face-reflected-in- mirror-creates-an-odd-whole-face photos all weekend.  The results have been hilarious and quite carnival fun-house strange. 

But that fun aside, reflection really is a concept I associate with gratitude.  

Reflection has two definitions that are applicable to the discussion.  It means to “pause to consider” and it also means “to cast back”.   

Throughout all my discussions about gratitude there is one thing I really try to make clear – that there is a beautiful reciprocal nature expressed through a gratitude practice.  That having a gratitude practice enhances your life. It becomes more than simple acknowledgment, a simple thank you.  It’s an invitation into something deeper, something more expansive, something magical that helps you experience how connected everything is, how wonderfully supportive the universe is, always inviting you to see and experience more joy.

So if I were to summarize a gratitude practice at its most basic it would be: 

Receive, acknowledge, maintain resonant vibration…receive more, acknowledge, maintain expanded resonant vibration…

Gratitude says thank you, that was delicious, I love how that makes me feel, and I can slip into that feel-good more easily now, and I’ll keep my eyes open for more ways to feel-good.  That’s maintaining resonant vibration, and opening up to more.

That’s the magic.  Pay attention, welcome, be delighted, and the invitation is out there for you to see more.  It’s expansive. 

And when you’re expanded you’re giving off more light, at higher vibration.  Your presence, your light, you beingness is bigger – you have more to cast out (reflection) to add to the goodness in the world for others to see, to receive, to acknowledge, and to help them expand as well, simply because you are you and you’ve added to the energy stream with your gratitude.

And the cycle continues.  You pay attention, you pause to consider (reflection) the beauty, the joy, the delicious that is available to you, and you say thank you, more of that please.

And there you have it.  Considering and casting out – a perfect cycle of reflection that in my mind sums up a gratitude practice perfectly.

While I’m not going to share any mirror-face photos, here’s an accidental mirror photo I took that feels appropriate for this post.   I have a mirror hanging over one my large altars and I like to hang things off the corner of the mirror.  Amulets, and fragrant bead offerings, and special little things.   I was taking a photo of something else in the room and as I turned I accidentally shot this.  I love the skewed perspective.  The black-framed piece of art looks like it’s mere inches away when in fact it’s 3 or 4 feet away.  I like how reminds me that the magic is always closer than you think.

So what do you think?  Does reflection make sense to you with regard to gratitude?  Do you feel the expansiveness of a gratitude practice?  Have a mirror story to share?  A reflection to add?  Please do – you know I love to hear.