Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.’ Melodie Beattie
We live in an incredibly abundant world. Who would have thought 150 years ago that we would be able to sit in a chair and fly from one side of the world to the other? And this is due to the incredible resources the earth has to offer (including the amazing abilities of the human brain). Who knows what we will be able to achieve in 150 years?
This leads us to two points – one, we can be happy inside –
happiness is an inside job. Two, we have so many wonderful things to make us happy compared with the past, so it is our desire for more that can make us unhappy. It’s ok to desire more but we absolutely have to be happy with what we have.
Gratitude can be used to express appreciation for something we don’t yet have. By assuming that something is already there, we encourage it to move into our life. For example you could say ‘Thank you that I have the perfect job, for the perfect pay, in the perfect place, with the perfect people’, and imagine having that. Imagine feeling great about your job, feeling appreciated, well-paid and enjoying your work. Gratitude is about being willing to receive, being willing to open up and let ourselves enjoy the
happiness and abundance that we desire.
In order to gain more of anything we need to focus on it – this is a fundamental law of the universe: the
law of attraction. If we focus on lack, or what we don’t like, we will attract more of that into our lives. By raising our emotional vibration we align ourselves to the things and situations we want, and thereby attract them to us. If we are grateful for what we have, and focus on that, then we will get more of that in our lives. It’s as simple as that! Think about five things or people you are grateful for today. Think about how they enrich your life. Wonderful, isn’t it! Even when we are in difficult situations, it is good to be grateful for the opportunity to learn and to grow.
Gratitude is also good for our relationships. Isn’t it great when people appreciate things we do? People also like to be appreciated by us, so let people know when you are grateful for what they have done for you – or just for being there for you when you need them. If you notice yourself feeling negative about something in your life, think of a few things that you are grateful for. If you’re feeling upset about an aspect of your relationship, think of several things that you love about your partner. If you’re stressed by work, think about things that you like about your job.
A father once asked his son what would be the first thing he would buy if someone gave him a million dollars. The boy replied straight away: ‘A thank you card!’ It’s important to be grateful for the blessings we receive.
Try not to make too many comparisons. You may see people who are richer than you and who seem happier, but in reality they may not be any happier and may secretly envy something about your life that you don’t even consider as extraordinary. People who are
successful can be an inspiration to all of us to achieve more. And if you know people who are less fortunate than you, then you can be more appreciative of all the blessings in your life. If we do not appreciate what we have now, how can we enjoy what we hope to have in the future?