It’s important to have intentions for how you want your life to unfold, and then establish regular reminders to put that intention into practice. When you get the reminder, it really is best to carry it out immediately, before you get side-tracked by whatever activity you happen to be engaged in.
I have created an intention to hourly turn my attention and send love and a “thank you” to Spirit, for just my life. Then go about the business of the day. Needless to say, on the very first day, after doing it in the morning, it was past lunchtime when I did it again. And not until late evening did I remember it again. This went on for days, until I really sat down to figure out why I could not spend 30 seconds or a minute every hour or so, sending appreciation to God for the gift of my life.
The reason was very simple; because I was given reminders – just a fleeting thought about Spirit or my commitment, when engaged in writing or cooking, and then thinking: Oh yes, as soon as I finish this sentence, I’ll stop! As soon as this boils, I’ll stop! But of course, by the time the sentence was finished, the thought about my commitment was gone too; there were other sentences, phone calls, lunch to make, urgent emails. The reminders never come at a convenient time when you’re doing nothing in particular, but always at the most inconvenient times.
So then I made another commitment: that whenever a reminder came, I would stop immediately, and send a wave of gratitude even in the middle of a word, even when checking the food in the oven, even when the phone was ringing – it could ring another few times before I picked it up – and especially, when driving. Did that work?
Amazingly! Even if at times I slipped up, within a few minutes I would remember the reminder I didn’t listen to and did it then.
The net result was a connection to Spirit not 3 or 4 times a day, but more like fifteen. Sometimes the reminders came bunched together, a few in the same hour, then nothing for a couple of hours, depending on the focus given to what I was doing. Now, I don’t even count any more but it’s multiple, multiple times and the impact this has on my overall feelings of peace and contentment, I find is worth every effort.
If you want to try this, and find that it’s hard to remember, I would set a chime on your phone to go off every hour, for you to stop and be grateful for everything you have, even if things are not perfect in every aspect. This will soon become a habit, as it has for me.
That habit not only strengthened my ability to keep my commitments and build self-confidence which boosted my self-worth, but it also amplified my connection to that part of me which is infinite and eternal, omniscient and omnipotent, and opened the door, from my side, to receiving more of the wisdom and attributes I need in every circumstance.
The door is always open from the side of Divinity, which is pouring everything it is into me – but I have to unlock it from my side through my attention, and this practice of love and gratitude, so I am able to receive.
