Page 43 - Dash Inspirations by Linda Ellis

Stratitude
Strategy: a plan of action or policy designed to achieve an overall purpose
or intention.
Gratitude: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation.
Stratitude: an imaginary technique where one learns to combine these two in order to adopt and maintain a personal strategy of gratitude.
I consider true gratitude a skill or an art -- a trait that is not inherent, but acquired, during the course of life’s journey. I have come to understand that it is the very core of achieving tranquility, contentment, and peace in life. Without it, there is an indiscernible unrest . . . a nagging, consistent inner turmoil. I compare it to constant ripples in the waters of our soul in lieu of smooth, still springs.
I am referring to those haunting, taunting ripples caused by desire. Desire is gratitude’s nemesis -- a silent enemy that hounds us relentlessly, teasing us with “what could be,” while simultaneously squelching our appreciation for “what is.” Not until we learn to retire desire and include gratitude can we calm these ripples of unrest.
To do this, we must first adopt a technique I’ve titled “Stratitude.” This is obviously the result of combining the two words: strategy and gratitude.
Stratitude is a focus . . . an attention given to “what is.” It is a concentration: a deliberate devotion to absolute appreciation. It is an acceptance: a recognition and absorption of one’s personal reality. It is a slow-down: a deceleration of our high-speed lives allowing us to drink in the transient blessings that are present in our “now.” It is a willingness: a readiness to open our hearts and minds to truly seize what is available in our “here.” It is a realization: an awareness that failures and disappointments are not only blessings in disguise, but also important, necessary life lessons. It is a belief: a heartfelt certainty that the phrase “enough is enough” is not a cliché, but an earnest truth.
Stratitude, once achieved, can literally make what is old and familiar new and worthwhile again. It can bring alive our spirits through a satisfaction that is all-too-often suppressed by wants and wishes.
Dash Inspirations by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life
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