- Bottom Line: Gratitude feels good and feeling good leads to noticing and receiving even more good.
- Gratitude has nothing to do with:
Indebtedness. It is, in fact, the absolute opposite of that feeling. The thoughts behind gratitude are I HAVE, I AM ENOUGH, I HAVE IT ALL, I AM COMPLETE, MY NEEDS ARE MET, I AM BLESSED, etc. The thought behind indebtedness are I owe, I need, I am not enough, etc. This misunderstanding has much to do with the inability to receive, whether the giver is universal or human in nature.
Giving up our dreams of a greater-yet-to-be. Instead, we take time to remember all that we now have, that was once a dream, as a reason to have confidence that our life is moving forward.
Denying what is hard, difficult, or lacking. Gratitude replaces a focus on lack with an appreciation of those things, people, or qualities that we may have forgotten are ever-present blessings.
Even people who have difficulty with gratitude often back into it by watching the news (and the weather) reports. One purpose of watching the news, that is mostly unconscious, is to see how much worse off someone else is than you are. You become thankful for what you do not have in your experience.
Raises our vibration above the survival level and puts things into perspective. Noticing what we do have leads to more thoughts about what is good in our life. No matter what difficulties you are facing most of us have our basic needs met and our real survival is not at stake. This tends to soothe our nervous system which impacts our health as well.
Even people who have difficulty with gratitude often back into it by watching the news (and the weather) reports. One purpose of watching the news, that is mostly unconscious, is to see how much worse off someone else is than you are. You become thankful for what you do not have in your experience.
- Gratitude:
Raises our vibration above the survival level and puts things into perspective. Noticing what we do have leads to more thoughts about what is good in our life. No matter what difficulties you are facing most of us have our basic needs met and our real survival is not at stake. This tends to soothe our nervous system which impacts our health as well.
Open us up to a receive more. An attitude of appreciation is a major attractant. There is a passage (in Matthew 13:12) about those who have will be given more and those who do not have even more will be taken. It is telling us that gratitude gives us more to be grateful for. God (or whatever you choose to call your higher power), has given us everything. Whatever you put your attention on increases. If it’s abundance you see, you will attract more. It’s magnetic. On the other hand, lack repels abundance. Instead, it highlights and attracts more lack.
- Feeling Grateful
This is almost too simple, right? Do you have to eradicate thoughts of lack or ingratitude? Surprisingly, the answer is no. We will always have thoughts floating through our mind that could bring us down. Chasing them only seems to make them increase in number. You just need to tip the balance towards gratitude. You will know how well you’re doing by how you feel. The origin of the word gratitude, roughly translated, means that you are in a state of mind that is pleasing to you. If you are moving in that direction, you are doing a GREAT job. Little by little, or in big leaps and bounds, you will displace anything that is unpleasing until the balance is tipped in favor of EXTREME GRATITUDE! :-)
If you have spent more time feeling the lack of what you want than the fulfillment of it, this may not be easy at first. And, the holidays can intensify these feelings or make it harder to refocus. If you are interested in making the shift towards a life that you FEEL is something to be thankful for, it helps to have support and tools to do this.
- Support
I will be offering a teleseminar on December 7th which will focus on attracting soulmate love and having a terrific holiday. Regardless of where you are on your path, if you feel called to attend I hope you listen to that inner urge and sign up. It will not only be a gift to you, it will be a gift to your friends, family, and co-workers.
Here’s the link for details and sign-up:
Order Up a Love-Filled Holiday
Hugs,
- Lisa
On a personal note, I've much to be grateful for this season, above and beyond the norm. Within the past week, I became engaged to my soulmate and I finished my first marathon with him running by my side. I have a very strong feeling that many of my family, friends, and clients will be riding this wave with me into 2012. Come join us!
