Thursday, March 5, 2009

Gratitude Abundance: Why & How to Get It

By Deanna Collins

You hear a lot about the power of gratitude. On paper it makes sense, right? If you're grateful for things then you begin to focus on what you have rather than focus on what you don't have. However, when things are tough and life is full of challenges, it can be tough to keep gratitude at the forefront of our minds.

Why is a Gracious Attitude Important?

Gratitude changes your perspective on the life that you've been given. When you have gratitude in your life you:

Look at faults as potential blessings. It's easy to lay blame at someone else's feet and leave it there. It is a lot harder to look past someone's mistakes and see their potential. That goes for your mistakes too.

Look at people with new eyes. People are seen for whom they are and not the sum total of their possessions or their character traits. Living in harmony with others fosters a happy fulfilled life.

Forget about judging others. We all have faults and make mistakes from time to time. Acknowledging that fact helps other people to put their faults in perspective and play to their strengths.

Look at your own life and show mercy to others. Be grateful for the chance to change someone's life.

See good things multiply in your life as you concentrate on them and not the bad times. Concentrating on bad circumstances lets them loom larger than life and bring you down. On the other hand, looking to the good times attracts more good times in your life because that is what you choose to expect.

How Do You Attain Gratitude Abundance?

Use a journal to record the things in your life that you are grateful for. Identifying your blessings makes you aware of them. We don't give enough thought to such things and usually take them for granted. Think about the breaths you take each day and the food you get to eat when you are hungry. What about the people who make your life great and the pleasant surroundings you life in? Once you learn to recognize them, you'll be amazed at how they begin to outnumber your challenges.

Practice. Being grateful and inviting gratitude abundance into your life isn't an overnight experience. You don't go to bed one night with the burdens of the world on your shoulders and awake the next day feeling light as a feather with no cares in the world. Gratitude, takes practice.

Find ways to integrate gratitude each day. Develop rituals that usher in gracious feelings within you. It could be as simple as journaling, wearing special gratitude jewelry, getting weekly pampering, or making time for family and friends. Whatever you choose, make it a positive experience.

Help another person. We find deeper meaning in our lives when we make someone else's life better. Volunteer with the homeless, give to charity, or do something nice for a stranger every day.

Strip away the things that you don't need in your life. Gratitude feels good and is incompatible with things that make you feel bad. Eliminate the negative and fill up on people and situations that enhance your life.

Gratitude abundance is waiting for you to reach out and embrace it. The choice is yours, invite it in and change your life. - 16651

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