Deepak Chopra says “To experience gratitude is the most effective way of getting in touch with your soul. When you are in touch with your soul you eavesdrop on the wisdom of the universe. You feel connected to everything in creation. You embrace the wisdom of uncertainty and you sense your Self as a field of infinite possibilities. Gratitude is the most effective way of getting there. The reason is because when you are experiencing gratitude, ego moves out of the way. You can’t have ego and gratitude at the same time, Only one.” I love these words. They are so true. When I am grateful I am connected to everything, everyone. My state is different. My energy level is high. When I am not feeling gratitude, I am alone and cut off from the world.
Gratitude takes my focus from what my life lacks to the abundance that is already there. Gratitude makes me rich, instead of poor, it puts value in what I have and instantly I have more than I did before. Gratitude is seeing the glass for being half full. Being thankful changes everything. It changes my entire vibration.
Even the word appreciate comes from the Latin word ad-pretium. This means to add value to something or to put a value or price on something. What are you appreciating right now? Stop for a moment with me and close your eyes. Think of all the things you are grateful for. Think of the people in your life, the connections you have with them, the love you share, the laughter and the warmth. Think of what you have right now, even just the basic necessities like water, air and the sun. Feel real gratitude for these things. Feel gratitude for your body and how amazing it is with its ability to heal itself and perform a million different functions without you even having to even think about it.
Think of how you feel when someone shows genuine appreciation to you. Doesn’t it feel good? Now imagine how much your life would improve if you lived in conscious appreciation. Can you picture you valuing your family, your friends and co- workers, even strangers you run into in the course of your day? Can you feel what that feels like? Do you see how things would improve in your life? Now imagine if everyone did that? Isn’t that amazing? Wouldn’t the world be better?
Even research shows that people who are grateful are happier, healthier, have less stress, are more resilient and have stronger relationships than those who don’t practice an attitude of gratitude.
Ways to give thanks:
- Start giving thanks in the morning, make it a daily habit. Go over the things you are grateful for before you even get out of bed. Take a few minutes and make a list in your head.
- Journal. Start a gratitude journal. Every day write down things you are grateful for.
- Send thank you cards with a heartfelt message. What a great way to express yourself and make someone’s day.
- Give thanks before your meal. Make it a happier meal.
- Take five minutes out of your day to tell someone how thankful you are that they are in your life.
- Have moments of gratitude throughout your day. While standing in line at the bank or in traffic, make a mental list in your head.
- Have an Attitude of Gratitude for 30 days. Do it. See what a difference it will make in your life.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes on gratitude.
“Gratitude is the mother of all feelings. It’s the highest expression of emotion within human consciousness.” -Amma
“If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” –Meister Eckhar
“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” -Tony Robbins
“Living in this emotional state will enhance your life more than almost anything I know of. Cultivating this is cultivating life. Live with an attitude of gratitude.” -Tony Robbins
“Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure. The way you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You are overcome by the fact because you think you can.” -Norman Vincent Peale