THE POWER OF GRATITUDE

practising gratitude is one of the most rewarding routines we can get into. 

being grateful for what we have shifts our focus from lack to abundance.

it makes us realise how much we already have. rather than focusing on the negative that we might be experiencing, we turn toward the positive. this will immediately lift our spirit + raise our vibration.

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regardless of how low we feel, we can always find something to feel grateful for. 
basic things like the bed we sleep in / food in our bellies / living in peace + with loved ones / a refreshing shower / our income / our health / clothes on our bodies.
but also simpler things like enjoying a sunny day / tasting our favourite food / experiencing colours + the sound of rain / feeling the sand between our feet while walking on the beach.
or even bigger things like feeling guided + loved by the universe / having free will / feeling at peace. 

 

USE GRATITUDE TO MANIFEST YOUR DREAMS

the law of attraction tells us that what we focus on, we attract. being grateful is one sure way to send more positivity our way.
we can also use this law to  manifest our dreams . 

our brains + bodies can’t distinguish between what is actually happening in our lives + what we are just imagining. we can use this fact to our advantage + be grateful for what we don’t (yet) have to “trick” the universe to send it our way. 

in his book becoming supernatural, Dr Joe Dispenza explains how gratitude is a powerful emotion to use for manifestation. usually, we express gratitude for something after we have received it, meaning the emotional signature of gratitude indicates it has already happened. if we start being grateful upfront, our unconscious mind will believe it is already here. and since we will receive whatever we focus on, our dreams will come true before we know it (as long as we keep putting effort into it). 

 

SHIFT YOUR FOCUS

the secret to being grateful is to learn to shift our focus + perspective. 

it can seem hard to notice how blessed we are when we’re stuck in negative situations. maybe we feel trapped in a toxic relationship or a job we don’t like. perhaps we spend too much time with people who just drain us. 
this is precisely when we need to turn to gratitude to shift our focus. if the big things in life are challenging, we have to start by being grateful for the smaller things. 

the same is true if we often tend to feel overwhelmed. 
for instance, if you’re an HSP (a highly sensitive person), you tend to get overstimulated quickly. rather than looking at the negative effects of exposing yourself to the world, you can choose to be grateful for your ability to feel things deeper / for how it makes you feel alive. 
not to mention all the great things you can indulge in when you’re craving solitude.

rather than feeling sorry for ourselves (or blame others) for how life is unfolding, we can choose to accept that whatever is happening is meant to happen. that our lives are part of a greater plan + therefore everything happens for a reason. 
we all have lessons to learn in life. if we choose to be grateful for how these challenges make us stronger, we will shift our focus + feel more invincible rather than defeated. 
it will make us adopt a positive outlook on life + shift our focus from fear to love, which will result in more love entering our lives.

 

HOW TO PRACTICE GRATITUDE

SAY “THANK YOU” MORE OFTEN

we can always find more opportunities to say “thank you” throughout our day. we can make it a habit to be thankful even when it’s not commonly required. say “thank you” / “thank you, universe” / “thank you, god” or whatever phrase that appeals to you (either out loud or silently to yourself) when you :

• wake up in the morning (e.g. “thank you for a new day”)
• the weather is to your liking (e.g. “thank you, god, for the cool air today”)
• are about to eat a meal (e.g. “thank you, universe, for this nutritious meal”)
• spend money (e.g. “thank you, universe”)
• get a green light in traffic or feel lucky for any other reason (e.g. a simple “thank you”)
• go to sleep (e.g. “thank you for the wonders I experienced today”, or you could be more specific)

the more you start feeling grateful for these simple occurrences, the more you will discover even more things to be thankful for. 

 

KEEP A GRATITUDE JOURNAL 

get into the routine of keeping a gratitude journal. every evening before going to bed, write down 3 things you were especially grateful for that day. 

some questions to get you started :

• what did you enjoy ? 
• what made you laugh ? 
• what epiphanies did you have ? 
• what people lifted you higher today ?
• what did you see / smell / taste / feel / hear that was so incredible ?

the challenge is to write down 3 different things every day; this way, you constantly discover something new to be grateful for. 

for more inspiration, check out my pinterest-board :

 

BENEFITS OF PRACTICING GRATITUDE

when you get into the habit of being thankful for whatever is coming your way, you will :

• notice a shift in your focus + perspective. 
• feel more uplifted / positive / compassionate.
• notice more amazingness appearing in your life. 
• feel more + more blessed.  
• learn to slow down since finding things to be grateful for requires you to be aware + we can’t be aware when we are rushing around.
• raise your vibration.

 

what amazing things have happened in your life after starting a gratitude practice ?