Positive Vibrations

This morning I've been humming Bob Marley's "Positive Vibrations" in my head non-stop.  Mostly because I really think that I am starting to buy into the idea of thinking positively, being thankful for what you have and projecting the good out into the world so you can get it back.  I seem to really be feeling it lately.  What is interesting, is that I thought I lived this way before, back when I was drinking a lot and smoking a lot of weed.  I thought that kind of being stoned and talking about being positive was sort of where it was at.  And while the beginnings of positive vibrations might have been there, the drinking and smoking were weighing me down to where I never actually took any action or made any moves to actively work these ideas into my life.  The drinking was clouding my ability to even acknowledge that I had emotional garbage to deal with so that I could get to those positive vibrations. 

Yesterday, the topic of the purpose of a gratitude list came up.  A lot of folks are told to start one when they enter AA, and when you are first getting sober, a gratitude list sort of seems like a distraction - a way to change your thinking when you are feeling down about life.  And it's true.  It helps to change the subject of your mind when you first begin to make gratitude lists.  But the other fact of it is that when we are truly grateful and appreciative of certain aspects of our lives, and we express it, we are putting ourselves out into that vibration.  We become more in line with these things that we are thankful for, and we become more available to receive even more of what we appreciate. 

Right now I'm really thankful that I'm sober, that I have 2 beautiful children, a partner who works with me and not against me, and a peaceful home full of laughter.  I seemed to have laughed a lot over the past month, and it has been so great.  There were a few years where I was doing a boat load of crying, and I don't miss that at all. 

And now, I leave you with the words of one of my all time favorite musicians - Bob Marley:

If you get down and you quarrel everyday,
You're saying prayers to the devils, I say.
Why not help one another on the way?
Make it much easier. (Just a little bit easier)

Say you just can't live that negative way,
If you know what I mean;
Make way for the positive day,
'Cause it's news - news and days -
New time, and if it's a new feelin', yeah! -
Said it's a new sign:
Oh, what a new day!