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unplug
unplug magazine asks you to unplug from your current modes of thought and look at life in a new way, whether this means unplugging from our toxic consumer culture, mainstream society, the tv, or a limiting mindset. author megan prusynski explores life's alternatives and discusses activism, progressive thinking, and moving towards a "green" & sustainable life.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Importance of Gratitude
In my travels this summer, I visited many delicious restaurants and sampled all kinds of yummy vegetarian grub. But my favorite restaurant experience was Cafe Gratitude in Berkeley. This cafe serves mostly raw, vegan, organic food prepared with love. I first heard of it when my friend Crystal traveled to the Bay Area for a summer and got a job there. When she got back, I could tell she was a changed person. And she brought with her the recipes for some of the most amazing live food desserts I've ever tasted. I had to check this place out.
We visited Cafe Gratitude with our friend Jake when we were visiting the Bay Area. It is a unique restaurant in that it is based more on attitudes and beliefs than food itself. According to their site:
Cafe Gratitude is our expression of a world of plenty. Our food and people are a celebration of our aliveness. We select the finest organic ingredients to honor the earth and ourselves, as we are one and the same. We support local farmers, sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly products. Our food is prepared with love. We invite you to step inside and enjoy being someone that chooses: loving your life, adoring yourself, accepting the world, being generous and grateful every day, and experiencing being provided for. Have fun and enjoy being nourished.
The restaurant is based on a board game called The Abounding River that the owners invented to teach others about their view of "being abundance." This view is based on the concept that you create your own reality and that your perception of the world shapes it. The game encourages people to think differently about what they have and what they want - to adopt a view that we live in a world of abundance, not scarcity. Most important to this viewpoint is gratitude (hence the name of the cafe). Giving thanks and being grateful for what you already have is key to getting what you want in life.
Not only is the food at the cafe extremely delicious and interesting, the entire experience puts a smile on your face. All items on the menu are affirmations such as "I am Beautiful," "I am Rejuvenated," or "I am Abundant." When you place your order, you say these affirmations out loud, sending positive energy into the universe. The atmosphere is welcoming and warm, the food is nourishing and healthful, and the philosophy behind the restaurant is a unique perspective that is very much needed in today's world.
During the busy Holiday season, I find this message of abundance and gratitude especially poignant. With all the stress, wanting what we don't have, overspending, and consumerism, it's refreshing to take a step back from it all and count your blessings. There are so many things in life to be grateful for, and it's important to take time to acknowledge the wonderful things you already have before complaining or wishing for things that you don't. There will always be someone with less (and someone with more) but the only way to break the cycle of desire that leads to unhappiness is to be truly content with where you're at.
I'd like to take this opportunity to share some of the things I am grateful for this holiday season: time with family, the sound of my lover's voice on the phone, old friends I haven't seen forever, the warmth of my pets when they cuddle on my bed, the big fat snowflakes falling as I walk, an over-abundance of my favorite Christmas goodies, all-weather tires that keep me safe, the many wonderful memories I have of our travels this year, the fact that we were able to find a new place to live in a little over a week, the excitement of change, getting my old job back with ease, the understanding and patience of others, free time, hot organic vegetable soup on a cold day, warm clothes, the new snowboard I have yet to ride, new books I'm excited to read, and people who read my blogs!
May you find much to be thankful for this holiday season.
Labels: gratitude, holidays, lifestyle
