My White Cat is My Gong

Some people have a schedule of meditation. Some sit in lotus position, some ring a bell sound a gong, sometimes I do too. But the greatest reminder I have of being present is my white cat. Every morning he waits patiently outside my door. If I sleep in too late, he will gently meow. I open my door to a purring kitty who welcomes me to being alive another day. This white cat purrs, purrs, purrs, purrs, purrs, the entire time you are with him. He purrs when you walk in the room, he purrs when you pet him, he purrs when you don’t, he purrs when he sits on your lap, he purrs when he sits alone. This little person in a fur cat is so present, so happy, so unassuming of anything, he purrs. Every morning, I decided years ago, decades ago really no matter what the day before or night brought, I am getting up happy, thankful for something. I will start my day with thoughts of gratitude and love. I will face the challenges of the day or the night before with renewed optimism, I will find a way. My cat purrs in agreement for the high road he takes every day. So if I awake and feel sick, I take a moment to smile and be thankful for a bed to sleep in, a shower to refresh my sweaty, sick, body. My cat purrs while he sits on a stool in my bathroom. If I awake worried over money, I take a moment to smile and remind myself, “The universe has my back, I will find a way.” I have a white cat that purrs beside me. Now I see there are many writers today contradicting old quotes and sayings of old and I applaud this sometimes because we, as a society, seem to be caught in a rut, creative thinking has slowed down. If we are to think new thoughts we have to be open to new ideas. It is this very thing that has saved me from ANTS. (Automatic Negative Thinking) Thinking new thoughts, letting in new information, practicing thankfulness instead of focusing on the negative. This one thing worked for me for sure, I SMILED when I did not feel like smiling, I GOT UP and took care of my work and family even if I did not feel like doing it. Smiling did over time help me to be happier when I was not. To put in motion the positive emotion I wanted when I did not feel it, changed my outlook in time. Some of my outlooks took years to change but because I was patient and faithful, it changed to a positive emotion of understanding and freedom from automatic negative thinking. I learned how to purr. My white cat is my gong, my bell, my meditation chair, my meditation room, candle, my constant reminder to purr, all will be well. I love my white cat.