What Are You Grateful For?

Be thankful for what you have.  Have an attitude of gratitude.  Count your blessings.  We hear these statements all the time, but what does it really mean to be thankful, to practice gratitude?  One of the greatest tests of faith is when we don’t get what want and we remain grateful for our blessings.

In the book The Secret author Rhonda Byrne teaches us the secret is to observe the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction is the name she gives to the belief that "like attracts like" and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, we bring about positive or negative results.  What we think and do will be manifested in our lives.  Most people spend the majority of their thought in response to what they are observing:  bills in the mail, being late, worry about their stressors, etc.  Whatever is going on in our mind is what we are attracting.  If we think about what we don’t want we attract more of the same.  Simply put, those who speak of being sick are sick.  Those who speak of prosperity and abundance have it.

Our thoughts cause our feelings.  Everything in our lives we have attracted, we must accept that fact.  The truth is if we do not like what we have attracted in our lives we must change our thinking.  According to Rhonda Byrne, when something goes very wrong we have unintentionally not been grateful enough.  We will attract everything we require if we practice gratitude.  What we focus on with our thoughts and feelings is what we attract into our daily experiences.  When we shift our awareness, gratitude will bring more into our lives immediately.  Gratitude turns what we have into enough. Practicing gratitude is an action that must be carried out daily.  Here are three practical ways to begin practicing gratitude today:

*Keep a gratitude journal – Write down daily what you are grateful for.  Everything from your morning coffee to the paycheck that allows you to have enough.  The friend who is always willing to lend an ear when you need it to the difficult co-worker who gives you the opportunity to practice patience.

*Be mindful of each day’s events – Look for the small blessings and be thankful for them.  Acknowledge them in the very moment you experience them.

*Carry a gratitude rock.  Put it in your pocket, your handbag, or sit it beside your bed.  Hold it as you say out loud “I am grateful for….”  Watch that rock, over time you will notice it starts to gain a shine.  So it is with us, when we express our gratitude we shine.

The Law of Attraction states that we attract our dominant thoughts.  What are you attracting into your life?