Words of Wisdom: From Ratitude to Gratitude

From Ratitude to Gratitude

By Alan Cohen

Sometimes rodents show up at our house in the country. When our little visitors increased in numbers, we got a cat to keep the population down. One morning I woke up and enjoyed an empowering meditation, tapping into a pool of deep inner peace. Then I walked into the living room and found a dead rat on the rug. After an initial “Arrrgh,” I got a shovel and scooped up the remains. As I headed outside, my partner Dee commented, “I am so grateful the cat is doing her job!”

Ah, another way of looking at the situation. We hired the cat for a reason. Why should I complain when she fulfilled her role? Two realities presented themselves as an offering for my choice: A disgusting sight or a job well done. I decided the second option felt better, and the apparent problem gave way to a sense of gratitude.

Metaphorically speaking, we all have dead rats on our living room floor, (such as obstacles, difficulties and suffering) and we all have agents doing their job to keep things running efficiently. The more you complain about the dead rats, the more you find. The more you thank the cat, the more you find to be thankful for.

Attention is the most powerful currency at your disposal. Where you place your attention today is a coming attraction of what you will receive tomorrow. You may not be able to control events, but you have total control over the vision you use to see them. In that way you gain mastery over your experience.

People only see what they are prepared to see.  He saw the rat and she saw the cat.  He saw the problem and she saw the solution.

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WOW is designed to motivate and inspire, promote self-discovery and aid in continued personal development. Each column will present a powerful quote, metaphor, short parable or thought-provoking question, sourced and selected by experts in the personal development field.