{"id":500,"date":"2016-07-19T18:14:00","date_gmt":"2016-07-19T18:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/?p=500"},"modified":"2017-01-03T03:14:00","modified_gmt":"2017-01-03T03:14:00","slug":"gratitude-is-the-attitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/?p=500","title":{"rendered":"Gratitude is the Attitude"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Woman<\/p>\n

There are days when life feels like more of a struggle. When I\u2019m tired and stressed, or sick, or an event has shaken me, my path seems more difficult.<\/p>\n

At those times, it\u2019s very tempting to compare my circumstances with other people\u2019s. When I do that, my inner dragon\u2014that negative inner voice\u2014looks for a way that I (or someone close to me) have fallen short.<\/p>\n

\"Woman

I should be there by now!<\/p><\/div>\n

The theme of my inner dragon is that I \u201cshould be\u201d further along\u2014in my writing, in my business, in my painting, in my life.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a painful distraction from what I\u2019m afraid might be even more painful: deeper inner assessment, and facing the action I need to take next.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, sometimes my inner guide\u2014that wise inner voice\u2014injects compassion. Ironically, it\u2019s empathy that allows me to look dispassionately at the harder stuff, and it\u2019s usually not as bad as I was afraid it would be.<\/p>\n

Self-compassion allows me to see that the \u201cshoulds\u201d\u2014real or imagined\u2014are in the past. Now, they\u2019re simply knowledge that helps me take the next step. If I need to do something differently, I re-prioritize and get back to my creative practice.<\/p>\n

When outer circumstances hinder my progress, self-compassion allows me to acknowledge that I don\u2019t have control, so I can let go of the struggle. I know I will get back to my practice when I\u2019m able.<\/p>\n

Sounds easy, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

But what do you do when it’s not easy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What do you do when your inner guide is on vacation?<\/p>\n

\"Woman


\n I should have done…<\/p><\/div>\n

When my inner guide is under a beach umbrella reading a good book, my inner dragon goes through a list of things that I \u201cshould\u201d have done differently. To make it worse, I usually mingle that list with things that I think other people \u201cshould\u201d have done differently.<\/p>\n

Ugh! It\u2019s kind of like an obsessive tape (record, DVD, MP3) playing in my mind.<\/p>\n

When my fire-breathing inner dragon is scorching my soul, I try to remember to stop, drop, and roll.<\/p>\n

Stop Obsessing<\/h2>\n

Stop the negative tape! If you keep going over the same thoughts again and again, you won’t get anywhere.<\/p>\n

Needless struggle\u2014focusing on the negative and worrying about the future\u2014is a waste of your spirit. It ties up your energy in what you don\u2019t<\/em> want to happen. And it keeps you from discovering deeper insight into the situation.<\/p>\n

Life is not about being \u201cbetter\u201d (or \u201cworse\u201d) than someone else; it\u2019s about being who you are<\/em>. It\u2019s about accepting that life is a journey, that spiritual growth involves trying and failing, over and over, until you succeed.<\/p>\n

And then you start the process all over again with something else.<\/p>\n

Drop the Drama<\/h2>\n

Drama\u2014unnecessary guilt or blame\u2014does nothing to help the situation. You may have no outward<\/em> control, but you are always free to choose your inner response.<\/p>\n

Energy is the currency of the spirit. It allows us to create in this world. You are creating all the time, whether you realize it or not. Whatever result you want in the outer world needs to happen inwardly first.<\/p>\n

If you focus your energy on struggle, or worry, or how things are not going your way, what are you creating? What do you want<\/em>  to create?<\/p>\n

Just as the energy of the sun helps bring forth a tree from an acorn, your energy helps you create an outcome, through the focus of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Your values and beliefs are the energy behind your efforts. Listen to your deeper values.<\/p>\n

Roll with It<\/h2>\n

Let go of your attachment to the immediate outcome. Of course, you care, but worrying about it keeps you stuck. It ties up your energy and focus.<\/p>\n

Stay open and curious. Consider that there are bigger forces at work.<\/p>\n

When you step back to look at the larger picture, it helps you see the context. Sometimes, there’s a difference between what you want<\/em>  to happen, and what needs<\/em>  to happen for your growth.<\/p>\n

You are on a journey, with lots of twists and turns. Some events seem like setbacks at first, but in retrospect, you realize they were essential.<\/p>\n

Practice Gratitude<\/h2>\n

When all else fails, call your inner guide\u2014and your compassion\u2014home by practicing gratitude.<\/p>\n

You have real blessings in your life. When you take the time to notice and appreciate them, your heart softens. And when your heart is less constricted, your mind is free to see what’s possible.<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

When you’re feeling sorry for yourself, gratitude is the attitude to set you free.<\/p>\n

What are you grateful for?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are days when life feels like more of a struggle. When I\u2019m tired and stressed, or sick, or an event has shaken me, my path seems more difficult. At those times, it\u2019s very tempting to compare my circumstances with other people\u2019s. When I do that, my inner dragon\u2014that negative inner voice\u2014looks for a way […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,12,17,5,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-compassion","category-growth","category-inner-critic","category-perspective","category-values"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=500"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":506,"href":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500\/revisions\/506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juliebaldwin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}