Gratitude From Nature

- No matter what time of year it is or what phase of life I'm in, nature is a place where I feel whole and complete. It's a place of healing and peace where I can admire and acknowledge all the beauty around me. It's a place of contemplation accompanied by feelings of immense gratitude. For me, gratitude is vital in life. Where gratitude is present, feelings of discontentment start to fade. I'm gonna walk through some basic exercises that I practice on a regular basis when I'm out in nature that help me feel gratitude in life. In order to feel gratitude, we generally need things to be grateful for. So, the core of all these basic exercises is identifying these things that are already there that I'm grateful for. Anytime I'm out in nature, I'm always looking for the beautiful creatures that I share this planet with. If I'm out in the forest or the desert or just walking along a local river trail near my home, I'm always looking for these beautiful creatures. Every time I find one, I just feel so grateful that I get to share this beautiful planet with these wonderful creatures. Something else that I love to do is just take time to sit and listen. Listen to the songs of the birds, the rustling of the leaves in the trees, as I deliberately take time to eliminate distractions, to sit and listen, to almost meditate, if you will. I once again feel so grateful for these moments of peace and contemplation. Another simple exercise that I love to do is to just wake up a little bit earlier than the rest of the world and watch a sunrise. It's hard not to feel grateful for all the beauty around us when the sky is shades of pink and gold and blue. This is an exercise you can do just about anywhere. Just find a quiet place and watch a sunrise. These are exercises that I practice in my life to help me feel more gratitude without feeling like I need more physical possessions. These are exercises that I practice while I'm out in nature, but they can be done just about anywhere. They can be done at home in front of a window, in your backyard, or even in a neighborhood park. I found that as I acknowledge how truly blessed I am to live in such a beautiful world and to be able to share it with so many amazing creatures, as I identify these different things that I'm grateful for that are already here, I live such a happier life with more respect for myself and all of God's creations.