Three Ways to Pop Into Gratitude
Okay, Amazies, first of all, I absolutely LOVE this pic of the lollipops. It is beautiful, colour, composition, I just love it. Also anyone know what colour of nail polish that is? Cause I love it.
Did you know that lollipops are often used to symbolize the purest enjoyment of simple pleasures? Ie. Childlike enjoyment.
'Cause I did not until recently, and it pleases me immensely. There is something that is totally feel good about seeing a bag of lollipops.
How do we find the sense of pleasure in everyday life that we had when we were offered a lolly as kids?
Let's take a look at the colour of the lolly's.
Firstly, Pink. Pink is a beacon of self-love and acceptance. It stands for the sweetness of life: friendship, harmony, peace, affection and understanding.
All of these things bring sweetness into our lives.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a lovely talk called, "Grateful in Any Circumstances" back in 2014, I am going to share a story he shared.
"There is an old story of a waiter who asked a customer whether he had enjoyed the meal. The guest replied that everything was fine, but it would have been better if they had served more bread. The next day, when the man returned, the waiter doubled the amount of bread, giving him four slices instead of two, but still the man was not happy. The next day, the waiter doubled the bread again, without success.
On the fourth day, the waiter was really determined to make the man happy. And so he took a nine-foot-long (3-m) loaf of bread, cut it in half, and with a smile, served that to the customer. The waiter could scarcely wait for the man’s reaction.
After the meal, the man looked up and said, “Good as always. But I see you’re back to giving only two slices of bread.”
He went on to explain,
"We can choose to be grateful, no matter what.
This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us. It surpasses disappointment, discouragement, and despair. It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer.
When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ’s Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven’s embrace.
We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?
Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges.
This is not a gratitude of the lips but of the soul. It is a gratitude that heals the heart and expands the mind."
Elder Uchtdorf is so very right, we can choose to see the sweetness in life or we can persist in eating the wrapper along with the cupcake. Not because we like the taste but because that was the cupcakes packaging and that is how we are going to eat it- as a whole! On the other hand, we could acknowledge the wrapper, remove the wrapper, accept its presence on our plate and eat a delicious cupcake without having to spit out paper and foil every time we tuck in.
Sure it would be great if the cupcake wrapper was removed before we ate it, but how would the cupcake be decorated? How would it stay together during transport? How could it be kept clean? Whether we like it or not the wrapper is necessary and can even be a beautiful part of the cupcake's overall charm. Just calmly remove it when you choose to eat your treat.
Switching back to lollipops, Red is for confidence, courage, passion, and romantic love.
A little courage and a dash of confidence can go a long way to creating results that we will thank ourselves for.
Oftentimes something wonderful we can do to generate more positivity in our lives is to have the courage to take a good hard look at our lives with an eye for the small blessings.
Honestly, all of the negativity can be a hard trap to get out of, and we get comfortable with what we surround ourselves with. A little red can sting but it is just the feeling of gunk burning out of your soul to make room for the gratitude.
Yellow brings optimism, hope and the freshness of life. A new perspective.
Have you ever asked anyone close to you why they are grateful for you?
You are definitely putting yourself out there asking that question and that is good for you too! The more we open ourselves, the more we have to offer the universe. The more you give the more you receive. You might also consider writing a note with five reasons you are grateful for a particular cherished human. As a bonus you will feel more grateful for your friends after this exercise too!
Bring some freshness to life, let it flow through you and feel the hope that gratitude brings.
I am grateful to you Amazies! Thank you for reading my words and for your positive encouragement. Thank you for the changes you are making in your lives. Each of you is an inspiration to me.
Go treat yourself to some gratitude!