Day 3 - Awaken the Energy of Gratitude

Gratitude is an energy that lifts and expands me. When I am aware of it, gratitude takes me to a deeper place in my heart. It turns what I have right now into enough. And it turns enough into more. Gratitude can turn a tiny house into a home and a strange person into a best friend.

Yesterday, I was able to acknowledge that I have indeed experienced grace. Today, I experienced the concept of gladdening the heart. When my heart is closed, I cannot feel gratitude. If I am stressed or tired, I don’t have the energy to practice gratitude. What does this idea of a gladdened heart feel like? To me, it feels safe and warm. I am accepted and supported by the Universe with no judgment.

When I am in a space of recognizing the good things in my life, that is when I feel abundant. I can’t achieve this feeling unless I take the time to renew this energy and it only happens when I meditate. This isn’t accomplished by looking out a window and seeing a perfect life. I focus on the simple things like a ray of sunlight, a shadow on a mountain or listening to my horses munch on their hay. I know that I belong to the horses. My existence is woven into their existence. However, it is not the horse but the energy of joy that I receive from being with horses. Horses open me up to be able to look at the world with love and gratitude.

So, what gladdens my heart? Of course horses, but when I am with the horses it is more than that. It is about being in nature and listening to the birds, feeling the sun on my face, and smelling the fresh air. One of the most heart-gladdening experiences I have ever had was with my mare Arabica. The night I had to put her down she held my hand. Her eyes were still bright while she talked to me the entire time we waited for the vet to arrive. It wasn’t that she was telling me everything was okay, she was simply living in the present moment and sharing her love. I fed her treats and she enjoyed eating them at that moment. Instead of crying, I cherished our last moments together as she made me smile and gladdened my heart.

The most beautiful thing I saw today was a blackbird courting a female. He sang her the prettiest song while dancing to the beat of his own drum. He shook his booty and danced like no one watching. By watching him be in his present moment, it allowed me to be in my present moment and grateful for the sight I saw.

Now that you know what gladdens my heart, I want to know what gladdens your heart?

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