We hear a lot about gratitude these days, but what does it really mean to be grateful? How do you access that feeling of thankfulness, and why does it matter?
I've been coaching and practicing gratitude for over a decade, and I can tell you with certainty, it's one of the biggest drivers for creating abundance and happiness.
It's impossible to be happy if you are not grateful, and it's just as unlikely for you to attract abundance and blessings if you are ungrateful for what you already have.
So, what's the best way to bring financial (and all) abundance into your life? Start by being thankful for your current situation and what you have right now.
Stop complaining about not having enough, in fact, stop complaining altogether! You can't be thankful and complain at the same time. Complaining can only manifest MORE of whatever it is you're bitchin' about.
Don't believe me?
See for yourself. Take a few minutes to think about all the things you don’t like about your life in this present moment. Write them down. Then ask yourself: Have those issues gotten better or worse over time? My guess is they have not gotten better.
So, when those problems surface or get worse, do you normally stress about them? Obsess over them until maybe it makes you physically ill? Do you talk about those problems with your friends and family or anyone who will listen? Do you write a negative status update about it on Facebook? We’ve all done it. But does doing all that ever fix the problem? Not usually.
By complaining about your problems, verbalizing them, and allowing your feelings associated with those thoughts and words to change your mood, or even make you physically ill, you have actually made those problems bigger. Instead of solving them, you’ve made them much worse.
The purpose of gratitude is to make us aware and present in our lives, to teach us not to take anything for granted. It’s so easy to get caught up in our daily life and forget all the good things that are part of our environment. Gratitude lets you reconnect with all of that—it keeps you in the moment, and focused on the positive.
To FEEL gratitude, take a moment to imagine your life without all the basic things you take for granted. What would your day be like if you:
Didn't have your family?
Didn't have a home?
Had nothing to eat and no way to get food?
Didn't have access to drinking water?
Couldn't see?
Couldn't hear?
Couldn't walk?
Couldn't talk?
Did not have a job or income?
There is a lot we take for granted, start your gratitude practice with these basics. If you had none of the above, wouldn't you be thankful to receive them?
Spend 5-10 min a day in silent gratitude, mentally thinking of all you have to be thankful for. It teaches you how to be present, and will set your energy to begin manifesting more and more positive outcomes. Gratitude will bring you genuine happiness.
Author: Sarah Centrella, best-selling author, master life coach, podcast host, motivational speaker.
