Top Ways to Practice Gratitude
When it comes to attracting abundance in all its forms (love, money, joy, happiness, etc.), the most important thing we could possibly do is put ourselves in vibrational alignment with that which we want.
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is ‘Thank You’, it will be enough.” - Meister Eckhart
But what about the nitty-gritty of this? How on earth do we vibrationally align with our desires? One word: gratitude. Gratitude is one of the most important components of attracting abundance and the more you can be grateful for, the more powerfully you bring your desires to you. over the years, I’ve learned four powerful ways of practicing gratitude.
1. Be Grateful for the Little Things
It’s easy to be grateful for the big things. I bet you’re grateful for your partner, your children, your house, your life. But what about being thankful for that apple you had as a snack today? Or the breath you just took? I used to brush the little things aside. I was too busy waiting for another big thing to be thankful for. Then I learned that life is lived in the details, the small, wonderful moments.
I learned that biting into a simple apple was something so many people on this planet weren’t able to do. Being grateful for the little things means we recognize that everything is a miracle. Even the applewe snack on. And if we vibrate in gratitude for a simple apple, then think about the intensity of the energy we can emanate when the BIG things occur!
Gratitude for the little things is also a perfect way to stay in the gratitude flow. The big things in life don’t happen all the time so if we wait for them, we end up being grateful only sometimes.The little things, however, happen all the time. Wetake between 17,000 and 23,000 breaths a day. That’s 17,000-23,000 opportunities to be thankful! The more we find to be thankful for, the more we stay in a steady state of gratitude. And that steady gratitude flow will bring more abundance.
2. Be Grateful for the Things that Hurt You
“What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is your candle.” - Rumi
Staying in a steady gratitude flow means we accept all that life brings us. We understand it is all there for our evolution. Yes, it may be difficult initially to feel grateful for someone that has hurt us in the past. But remember that the painful periods in life often lead to an awakening or at least, the opportunity for it. And in the end, isn’t it miraculous to awaken to life’s wonders? If so, then perhaps painful events really are blessed.
3. Extend Your Gratitude to Others
This one took a while for me to learn. But it’s a fundamental piece of the abundance equation. If we really are one, then the abundance that blesses others is also mine. We are usually conditioned to feel envious of others; to want what they have. It’s common to hear comments such as “it’s unfair for that person to be so rich” or “I can’t believe that guy found love but I don’t”. And make no mistake: these lower frequency emotions (like envy) mix with abundance as easily as oil and water.
When we walk in the knowing that we are all one, then it becomes easy to feel grateful for what others have. If I see someone drive by in a Ferrari, I smile and think “may the universe continue to bring you financial abundance”. If I walk by a couple holding hands, I again smile and think “may the universe continue to bless you with love”. Do you see how different this is from what we are generally used to?
I remember in the past, when I walked by a loving couple, the first thought to pop into my head was: “why can’t I find love?” Envy.That was the feeling I emanated so frequently toward people who had things I wanted. Little did I know at the time that these feelings of lack were actually keeping me away from abundance in all its forms.
4. Be Grateful for Things before They Materialize
“Gratitude in advance is the most powerful creative force in the universe.” - Neale Donald Walsch
I left the most powerful one for last! If we are already grateful for something before it appears, then we are essentially vibrating at the same frequency as that which we want. What we desire may not be here yet in the material sense, but it is therein the cloud of possibilities. And that cloud is as real as anything we can touch or see.
I practice gratitude in advance by constantly looking for abundance everywhere and holding an unattached expectation that it flows effortlessly toward me too. Unattached expectation simply means that I do not hold a specific outcome in my mind.I simply focus on feeling. There are so many wonderful things that can life can send my way and I get excited about all the possibilities!
Think about a child that wakes up on Christmas morning and has all her presents under the tree to open. Can you put yourself in that same level of awe, wonder, and excitement every day? In the end, the more we practice these various forms of gratitude, the more we open our arms and welcome abundance in all its forms.
