The Prosperity In Gratitude
It’s amazing the difference a few words can make. In the words of Eckhart Tolle, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into home, and a stranger into friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
Personal development coach, David J. Pollay, has a similar idea: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more: enough to share, enough to be generous with others, enough to relinquish worries.”
As I see it there are two kinds of gratitude: one is what I feel when I acknowledge that my current state of affairs is better than it was yesterday; the other is feeling grateful for the things in life that I already have. The first type of gratitude is fleeting; we are capable of being grateful one day and then moving on to being annoyed or anxious the next day because our circumstance hasn’t changed drastically. The type of gratitude that sticks with us is the gratitude for the things we already have. This type of gratitude is a change in attitude, a deliberate shift in our mind towards what we already have.
The way that I cultivate this appreciation of what I already have is by practicing Gratitude Meditations . It works something like this: pick three things (or more) that you are grateful for because they make your life better or easier, recite these affirmations aloud and really feel it in your heart, and end with a period of silence. And then do it again – after about six rounds you’ll feel yourself beaming from ear to ear as though you’ve just had a shot of positive dopamine. Trust me, it works.
David J. Pollay, who I quoted above, has a very helpful resource for those who want to start practicing these gratitude meditations . There are also other great ways to practice gratitude meditations like writing in a gratitude journal or even just reciting the “Gratitude Affirmations” that he goes over in his article (check out the article for more information about these affirmations). However you choose to begin cultivating gratitude in your life will work, because the most important thing is that you do it – so long as you don’t just do it once and then forget about it. As they say, consistency is key.
As you can probably tell from this article, I’m all about giving back. I’ve received countless notes from readers who’ve left me messages thanking me for my work, for writing for Forbes and other publications, for having a positive impact on their life and since the beginning of 2014 I have given a total of fifty-eight lectures ($18 per lecture). To date I have given forty-four lectures to individuals in person and nine lectures online to groups (I am planning on giving a lecture at the University of Indianapolis next fall).
In addition, I have worked the last two years as an online writing tutor for a large teaching organization that helps low-income students in urban schools develop their literacy skills and helped to raise over $1000 for a grassroots anti-human trafficking organization that rescues victims of forced prostitution. I volunteer weekly at soup kitchens, contribute my time to cleaning up parks and rivers, and donate to charities that are fighting against disease, poverty or human trafficking.
As a mediocre trombonist who needs to shave twice a day I have also given countless of speeches about how the power of positive thinking and gratitude is effective in pushing us towards our dreams.
None of this would be possible if it wasn’t for the people who have donated, read my articles, or shown me support in some way. For that I am utterly grateful (pun intended).
I guess all that I’m trying to say here is that gratitude works – not just in our hearts and minds but in our lives as well. I’m thankful to have so many wonderful people in my life, and even though I’ve decided to have a “away day” today and come back tomorrow there are still plenty of things that I am grateful for.
If you don’t already, try cultivating gratitude in your life, and make it a way of being. Don’t just do it once and then forget about it; cultivate gratitude as an integral part of your life that transforms every aspect of who you are as a person. The world will be a better place because of it.
Gratitude Unlocks the Fullness of Life,
David J. Pollay, Ph.D.
Many people have experienced being grateful, but not many people have experienced being GRATEFUL every day. Perhaps you are just beginning to discover the power of gratitude and would like to enhance your life with it. If you have always wanted to learn about the power of gratitude and you are currently living in a state of chronic anger, lack of gratitude can lead to a happy and peaceful life by transforming you from chronic anger to compassion and deep appreciation for everything in your life that is good.
With the right tools and skills, you can change your life. These materials offer a simple and practical solution to bring you more joy, happiness, success, love and prosperity in every part of your life.
The steps are simple:
1) Add gratitude to your life from the heart by using these techniques and tools;
2) Have gratitude for the things you have rather than the things you don’t have;
4) Do this for the next 21 days.
After these 21 days, you will experience major changes in your lifestyle, finances…and in every area of your life. You will feel much happier and be successful in everything that you do…and attract others that are grateful to have you in their lives.
You may never again live in a state of chronic anger, fear, anxiety or resentment.
Achieve Serenity With Gratitude
"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul ... " – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The philosophy behind the law of attraction is that like attracts like and whatever you put into the universe will come back to you. If you are in a negative state of mind consciously or subconsciously, it's possible that negative things will keep happening to you.
Conclusion
In closing we can say that gratitude is a quality of romantic love along with intimacy, passion and commitment, and they are all tied together. You've heard the old saying 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.' This is true in all relationships between two people who love each other because it creates a closeness and sense of intimacy as well as an appreciation for one another.
Regardless of the type of relationship you're in, gratitude will bring you closer. Because we often take the little things we have for granted, expressing our gratitude to those close to us can be powerful. It will make them feel appreciated and special which will help keep your relationship going strong!
With love and happiness always...