Becca Anderson - The Buddhas Guide to Gratitude: The Life-Changing Power of Everyday Mindfulness

Praise for
The Buddhas Guide to Gratitude

Practicing gratitude is like taking your vitaminsyou dont just take them when youre sick; you also have to take them to stay healthy.

Louise Harmon, author of Happiness AZ

The most magnetic trait of all time is gratitude! If you want to transform your outlook and your life, read and enjoy The Buddhas Guide to Gratitude.

Susan Seton, author of Simple Pleasures of the Home

Gratitude is a choice. When we choose to focus on what is right in our lives instead of what is missing, our appreciation for life can give us each a sense of purpose. This book is a guide to increasing your happi ness quotient.

Nina Lesowitz, author of Living Life as a Thank You

Becca Anderson has lit the path of gratitude, and spurred us to make this important spiritual practice the center of our lives. The meditations, exercises, and inspirational passages reveal the Buddhist connection to a deep understanding of the bounties of spirituality that we can put into our relationships, activities , and rituals.

Elise Marie Collins, author of Super Ager and
Chakra Tonics

The Buddhas Guide to Gratitude

Also by Becca Anderson
Prayers for Calm
The Womans Book of Prayer
Prayers for Hard Times
Badass Affirmations
Badass Women Give the Best Advice
Think Happy to Stay Happy
Real Life Mindfulness
Every Day Thankful
The Book of Awesome Women

Becca Anderson

Coral Gables

Copyright 2019 Becca Anderson

Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

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The Buddhas Guide to Gratitude: The Life-Changing Power of Everyday Mindfulness

LCCN: 2019905276

BISAC: OCC010000BODY, MIND & SPIRIT / Mindfulness & Meditation

I dont personally believe in an arrived stated of enlightenment. I feel that being human is a constant practice of return. We have moments of clarity, and then were confused. We have incredibly sensitive periods of being awake, and then were numb. Being human is a very universal and a very personal practice of learning how to return when we cant get access to what we know.

Mark Nepo

Table of Contents

Every day, think as you wake up: Today I am fortunate to have woken up. I am alive. I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts toward others, I am not going to get angry, or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

We dont need more money; we dont need greater success or fame. Right now, at this very moment, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness. When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, Oh yesI already have everything that I really need. This book contains many good ideas for practicing contentment. Do this simple thing every day; wake up, be grateful, be kind, and help others. If you do this, your life will be filled with joy.

Enou gh is a feast.

Buddha

According to Buddha, You have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy. Being thankful is one of the most powerful tools we humans have to attain peace of mind and a measure of happiness. As it turns out, Buddha had quite a lot to say on the subject of gratitude, including citing it as one of the four keys to the Gate of Heaven. Why is this? Perhaps because of its sheer simplicity, gratefulness is available to all of us at any time. Even in the midst of over busyness, stress, and chaos, we can find plenty to be glad about. Take time to stop each day and count your blessings. This can be a prayer or a mindfulness mediation, whatever works for you. This lovely, uncomplicated approach may well change your life.

Studies showand experts counselthat gratitude is a key component of our own happiness. People who are grateful about events and experiences from the past, who celebrate the triumphs instead of focusing on the losses or disappointments, tend to be more satisfied in the present. In a lecture, Buddhist leader Thch Nht Hnh stated, With all I have experienced in my own life, the power of gratitude stands above everything else. In your mindfulness practice, use gratitude until it becomes your way of life.

Gratitude moves us to do all kinds of things inspired by joy. Gratitude can help us transform our fears into courage, our anger into forgiveness, our isolation into belonging, and anothers pain into healing. Saying Thank you every day will create feelings of love, compassion, and hope.

But the fact is, the art of livingfor that is what we speak about when we speak of gratitudeisnt something that comes naturally to most people. Most of us need to work intentionally to increase the intensity, duration, and frequency of positive, grateful feelingsa daunting challenge indeed. But fear not, this book is here to help! I have provided you with mindful meditations, hands-on exercises, profound practices, inspiring quotations, thought-provoking questions, space for writing your own comments, and even positive power tools that will help you build a more grateful life. To master the art of being a gratitude practitioner, you have to take time for gratitude every day; that works for me and it will work for you. Youll be glad and oh-so-thankful you did.

As a meditation instructor, I look for many ways to introduce the skills and states of mindfulness. Sitting in silence, breathing, doing active or restorative yoga poses, or taking a walk are all ways to practice being mindful. One only needs to show up and be deeply engaged. The quotes in this book will help you live mindfully. Like a little coach you can put in your pocket, these mindful quotes guide and instruct the reader to peace and presence. I often use quotes in my yoga classes that introduce the art of mindfulness. Use them daily to give yourself a nibble of quiet and focus. Practice, practice, practice paying attention. Take these quotes and turn to them for contemplation and a deepening of your daily awakening. Use them to help you navigate the sometimes placid, occasionally murky, and periodically turbulent waters of life.

When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world b elongs to you.

Lao Tzu

Gratitude is one of the loveliest paths to personal growth. It can be subtle. After you start approaching your life with thankfulness, you may discover that you are functioning with a half-full mindset. For instance, maybe instead of worrying on Sunday nights about work and meetings and goals, you relax and are grateful to have work that you really enjoy. Next thing you know, your coworkers will notice that you are less stressed-out and more fun to be around, and your desk will become an oasis of positivity in the office. Your family will respond in kind, and your home will be a calmer, happier place filled with calmer, happier people. Your friends who used to call you and complain about life, now call and tell you about all the good things that are happening to them. It took a while, but eventually your aura of gratefulness took hold and bloomed.