Blog #111 An Attitude of Gratitude

We can all think of many things to be grateful for on so many levels, it is easy to be grateful and thankful; and to share it with our family and friends and the world around us.

To imagine everything sucks and is no good and not working creates that in our lives. What we focus on expands or what we think about all the time is what manifests in our life. Choosing to imagine a happy healthy joyful life with deep appreciation and gratitude for everything and everyone, we manifest that in our lives.

Continued from my last week’s blog #110-Dr. Christine Northrup MD:

Practicing gratitude for as little as 15–20 seconds can lower stress hormones, increase the flow of oxygen to every cell of your body, and harmonize your heart’s rhythms with your body’s other systems. If all of this happens when you focus for just a few seconds on something that brings you pleasure, joy, or a feeling of gratitude, imagine what would happen to your health—and our world—if you were able to cultivate and express gratitude and appreciation on a regular basis. That’s pretty powerful stuff.

Here are 10 Easy Ways to Practice Gratitude Every Day:

1.   Say “thank you.” I remember years ago, my father said to me, “Gratitude is the first thing forgotten.” With the stress and intensity of today’s world, it’s easy to forget to say “thank you.” Because we are all connected, this has much farther-reaching implications than you might realize. But, imagine if 1,000 normally negative or critical people practiced gratitude and human-kindness for just one day. The ripple effect could touch hundreds of thousands of people and literally uplift countless individuals. So, try saying “thank you” to someone you appreciate, even if it’s for something very small. Do this often until it becomes a habit. You can also write thank-you notes. This can be in the form of a letter or a simple email or text. It will not only make you happier, it will nurture your relationship with the other person. I also like the idea of sending at least one gratitude letter a month—this can even be to yourself!

2.   List your blessings. Making a list is a great way to count your blessings and feel grateful. Start by making a list of all the people in your life for whom you are grateful, including family, friends, work colleagues, wait staff at your favorite restaurant, and close advisors. Let your list expand organically. As you begin to picture all of the people in your life, such as the person on the end of the customer support hotline or the stranger who smiled at you while you were at your favorite coffee shop, you may be amazed by how much help and support you have in your life. You can do the same exercise for the things you are grateful for that are easy to take for granted such as heat, electricity, and clean water.  The more you notice the people and things you are grateful for, the more you’ll attract them.

3.   Start a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down whatever you feel grateful for each day, such as people in your life, a beautiful tree or just about anything. Remember, being grateful for the little things helps you cultivate a spirit of gratitude in your daily life.

4.   Appreciate yourself!!! Take a moment right now to look back and acknowledge everything you are and everything you do. Notice how far you’ve come since last year, last month, or even last week. Journaling is a great way to keep track of this kind of information. The point is to update your “self-appreciation circuits” regularly and genuinely.

5.   Create gratitude touchstones. Write your favorite memories or experiences on index cards, and keep them close at hand as gratitude touchstones. Your gratitude touchstones can be your spouse, your sleeping child, a beautiful place in nature, a favorite pet, an exciting trip, or even a special moment with a friend.

6.   Try a gratitude challenge. Several years ago, I participated in challenge where every day for an entire year I acknowledged and shared something I am grateful for. You can do this on social media, tell a friend, or simply write down what you are grateful for in your journal. Or, if you want another type of gratitude challenge, try to abstain from complaining for 24 hours!

7.   Give monetary and material offerings. In ancient cultures, the practice of tithing—giving 10 percent of your income to your place of worship—was standard practice. It was believed by many people that giving 10 percent of your income would increase your wealth tenfold. Today, giving monetary and material offerings to a source of inspiration or to those less fortunate is a tangible way to show gratitude. And, as the Law of Attraction would have it, it’s a great way to bring abundance to yourself as well. Choose organizations that inspire and uplift you and that you believe in.

8.   Have regular “rampages of appreciation.” Ester Hicks, who shares the teachings of “Abraham,” suggests having regular rampages of appreciation to elicit joy. I second that suggestion! Appreciation and gratitude are the best ways to turn around a bad mood in about 2 minutes.

9.   Pray. Prayer helps to cultivate gratitude. To make it even more powerful, you can use a gratitude prayer, or pray for the ability to feel grateful.

10.  Meditate. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. When you meditate, try focusing on something you are grateful for now. This can be something that you are grateful for every day such as enough food to eat, your home, family and friends, or a big event, such as a promotion.

 I love how Michael Tamura would often say everything in life is a learning opportunity. It is a choice!

Some of the things in my life that make it easy to practice gratitude:

-When I wake up and saying first thing, hello to God and the ALL and I am grateful for a beautiful night sleep and travels on the astral.

-I have a Thank you/Miracle jar that I put notes in that I am grateful for that day, that you can read at the end of the week, month or year to validate all that is manifesting in your life.

-Saying thank you to the food I am preparing for my family or my pets

-Create one day a week to say thank you all day long to everything that comes along, by the end of the day your mood will have totally changed to be happier and be more positive.

-Meditate and take a few minutes to ground yourself and communicate with your Spirit Guides and God-Self about your next steps

-Take time to validate yourself for all you are learning and how you are growing

I love and appreciate you all so very much! Thank you for sharing your LIGHT in the world.

Photo of my “With Gratitude” cards that I love to send to others