I consider myself to be appreciative and grateful for what I have and what I have been given. However, coming into 2018, I wanted to “turn it up a few notches”. I have committed to consciously live in gratitude, 24-7. Every hour, every minute, every second of every day. By doing so my spirit has been rejuvenated and uplifted. I could feel positive shift in my being. A shift in my energetic field. I have been feeling lighter…more hopeful…more at peace. Until that one unguarded moment…

Bonus earned for my 2017 job performance was recently communicated to me. My reaction was, “What?! I busted my tail feathers all year, implemented two major projects, all while handling regular day to day tasks and this is what I get? My performance rating was “exceeds expectation” and this is what I get? The same amount as last year?!” I tactfully made it clear to my manager that I was not pleased. Because we have a good professional relationship she knew that I wasn’t, in her words, “just whining and complaining”. She said, “Believe me I get it.” But she was taken aback by my reaction.

The next day while speaking with a co-worker about an unrelated topic, I had an “Ah Ha” moment. I had been feeling unbalanced all of that week. Not sick. No pain. Just disconnected and emotional. During the conversation I realized that I fell off the gratitude wagon. When we are not ourselves we can become distracted and have less control over our reactions to situations. I’m not sure what caused my feeling of unbalance but it certainly hindered my view of seeing the positive side of things. Unguarded moments provide opportunity for negative energies and thoughts to seep into our being. I smiled to myself…I glided right back into a state of gratitude. All became well. In that instant. Just like that.

In the sacred Odù, Ìrosùn Méjì, Ifá teaches us the importance of showing appreciation and gratitude for everything we receive. When we appreciate, we are blessed with more. At the end of the day, while the bonus was not more than I got last year, it was certainly more than I had before walking into my manager’s office. We must live in gratitude to see the positives. Living without gratitude accentuates the negatives.  Ela boru, Ela boye, Ela bosise o!

Ire o! 🌻