Gratitude is an essential type of energy within us but can often be undervalued, ignored, and misunderstood. Growing up we are told to say thank you to our peers, to our circumstance, and our divinity. Many habits and traditions become distant from their origins and can lose their importance. Sometimes that separation can replace the value of tradition with resentment for the past. The Law of Attraction suggests that negative thinking attracts negative experiences, while positive thinking is believed to produce desirable experiences. Gratitude is a powerful example of this and one can realize the potency of 'right thinking' surprisingly quickly. It is important to discard some notions of gratitude that are not beneficial to us. As children, we would be told to be grateful for things or circumstances which in truth gave us the least desire to be thankful. Food that starving people would want, clothes that cost a lot, chastisement that ended earlier than it might. We cannot be further from 'right thinking' than when told to say thank you for something we do not want.
A simplified view of the Law of Attraction when it comes to gratitude is the more thankful we feel, the more reasons we will be given to feel thankful. Logic dictates that if we are permanently grateful we will get everything we want, the may seem far-fetched but it is true. The flip side of the Law of Attraction is that negative feelings attract more of the same. Gratitude for finding a dime but wishing it was a dollar will attract more feelings of wishful thinking than true thanks. Remember the Law of Attraction brings forth the elements to achieve the emotion, attracting wishful thinking brings unsatisfying situations and feeling unfulfilled. These are feelings and situations are not our goal. When talking about 'feeling grateful' we must focus on genuine emotions coming from the heart and be ever mindful that ill-feeling towards others attracts the negativity we want to avoid. The Law of Attraction and Right Thinking are excellent partners, if we adopt Right Thinking we will enjoy the positivity we spread and be grateful for that feeling. The Law of Attraction rewards our Right Thinking with more opportunities and a positive circle of energy is created. Right Thinking is covered elsewhere so we won't go into more detail here. Like all emotions, gratitude is like a muscle, the more we use it, the stronger it becomes, and for us to feel the power of thanks we need to exercise it. Firstly we need to separate the "thank goodness it wasn't me" thanks from the "I am so lucky" kind, the former has undertones of negativity that we do not want. On a mental level, we know we want the happy and lucky kind of gratitude but how do we recall that emotion? Often summoning a particular feeling is hard and we must work through a series of trial and error. To practice think of a time or event that gives you a sense of gratitude and check it against the thank you list below. 1) You are genuinely grateful for and not something you 'think' you should be grateful for. 2) Whatever the circumstances you felt lucky/special/chosen (guess what, you are!). 3) The event is so unusual for you or is so common-place when it shouldn't be, that number 2 above applies. 4) You deserve it. 5) The event feels whole and does not need improvement. 6) You don't consider or care why the event happened for you, you are simply glad that it did. Once you are satisfied that you have your emotional bench-press to start your exercise you need to lift those weights. Use all your senses to summon forth the sensation of gratitude, visualization, smell, touch, taste; use anything that allows you to bring forth the feeling. A key phrase or mantra is worth repeating either verbally or mentally as an additional binding to the exercise. Simply saying "thank you" or "I am grateful" is enough but can be enhanced by holding a token, crystal, or lucky charm and giving it a gentle squeeze at the same time. Of all the mental exercises, this is one of the most enjoyable. Repeat it as often as you like and add other events and times as you see fit. You will feel gratitude come easier and easier as you practice and also feel it for the most mundane and minor things. A piece of music, seeing a bird, smelling a delicious aroma, giving gratitude to your senses will draw more and more positive energy to you. Some people enhance this further by listing things that they are grateful for and using them as a focus at the beginning and/or end of their day. The 6 step checklist should still be applied to each item and be mindful that somethings may no longer pass the test. It is important to examine why something is no longer cause for thanks. In enhancing our aptitude for gratitude, we are also strengthening our resolve against the trials of life. As our faith in gratitude is increased we can accept the downturns of life as making space for better things. On the passing of people, places, and things, we are more likely to find acceptance in their going when tempered with gratitude at the time they spent in our life. We can further develop our gratitude by simply using it in our daily lives. The cursory 'please' and 'thank you' we use in everyday life have often lost all value and meaning from over-use. Begin using them again with renewed vigor and meaning and you will feel people respond in turn, you will feel engaged, valued, and rewarded by the same simple worn-out words. One of the greatest gifts felt when adopting the spirit of gratitude is the universal sensation of "You are welcome". The energy our thanks generates, reaches out and affects everything and everyone around us and creates more and more positivity. Initially, you may find your exercise will elevate you to what is best described as a pink fluffy cloud. This sensation of joy and glee will calm down leaving a peaceful serenity eventually but for a while, you may feel excessively happy. If there is such a thing. Our gratitude journey has up to now been centered around past and current events and situations, but let us follow the Law of Attraction to the next step which lies in the future. Feeling thankful for something that hasn't happened may seem arrogant or foolish but the Universe is always looking to find the balance. By feeling grateful you create a void where there should be a positive event, the Universe will fill that void. While no set rules are surrounding the application of gratitude in this way we must remember we are dealing with energy. Firstly, energy can be both positive and negative, and our expectations can be the largest source of negative energy. 'Whether you think you can, or you think you can't-you're right.' Henry Ford gives the insight that our thoughts determine success far more than actions. Once you have conceived failure it is nigh impossibly to perceive success. Secondly, energy does not measure itself in words, it does not value a dollar over a thousand dollars, nor can it understand one company over another. It cares not about the sequence of events that lead to the result, purely the result itself and so should we. Aim for the feeling of gratitude you get from your goal being fulfilled. Imagine the destination, not the journey, on getting there summon the feelings, not the facts. How does famous feel like? Finally, we must accept that we are unique and wonderful, but we are just one star in the endless night. There will always be times when we must wait a while so that someone else can capture their dreams.
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