The Power Of A Thankful Heart
I love when November comes around. There is a nip in the air that makes you feel frisky. Football season is in full force and everyone is working their way into a new year. November also hosts one of my favorite holidays. I adore Thanksgiving! Feasting with loved ones while giving thanks for all of our many blessings is how I like to live everyday. In November they make it a holiday! So let’s get started opening ourselves to the power of the thankful heart.
Many years ago it was suggested to me, by a mentor and guide that I sit down and write a gratitude list. I was going through a particularly rough time and had lost my inner compass. My perception was askew and this gratitude list was supposed to change that. I was to write down all of the things in my life that I had to be thankful for and this was to cause a major psychic shift to occur in my inner and outer worlds. Little did I know when beginning this exercise that it was to truly be one of the most powerful experiences of my life.
At first I struggled to find things to be grateful for. I was feeling a bit sorry for myself and to find gratitude was tough. I persevered and began just writing the basics. I am glad I woke up that morning was sometimes the best I could do but I was diligent about this until my list grew long. Each day I would sit and write these blessings that were all around me. I have distilled it down to thirteen reasons and I will share these with you in hopes that you will connect these to the blessings in your world and incorporate an attitude of gratitude in living each day.
- Grateful for being alive – each of us is a unique creation who has been granted life to experience on the physical plane. Life is good!
- Grateful for good health – every breath that flows through my body and every beat of my heart sustains my life force. If I am alive I can be thankful for health.
- Grateful for family here and in the here-after – I love, respect and honor my ancestry. Each one gave me a gift. Their triumphs are mine. I sit upon their shoulders to continue to victory.
- Grateful for friends here and in the here-after – God created friends to help us share our burdens. Friends keep us wonderful company and help keep things real.
- Grateful for pets – How fortunate we are to have the unconditional love and attention of our little furry friends. The bond between pets and humans is one of the deepest and kindest bonds possible.
- Grateful for community – I love my city, neighbors and neighborhood. I feel connected to my space. Participate with those around us.
- Grateful for the planet – The planet sustains me and allows me to live. I am thankful that it supports our existence. Nature is a gift.
- Grateful for comfort – My beautiful home protects me. I feel comforted in my surrounds. I have food to eat and a wonderful place to rest my head. I have nice clothes. All of my basic needs are met.
- Grateful for career / life purpose – I am working doing something that I love. I am paid well and my talents are recognized. I am using my abilities in a productive way for myself and others.
- Grateful for prosperity – I live in an abundant world and partake in the process of giving and receiving. I am open to receiving my highest good. There is plenty for all.
- Grateful for intelligence / intuition – I am always learning. I am alert and aware and I pay attention to my intuition.
- Grateful for personal growth – I am wise. I am learning my life lessons with grace and maturity. I learn to embrace change.
- Grateful for spirituality – I am connected to the universe. I am growing in the image of God. With prayer and meditation I live a full and meaningful life.
These thirteen gratitudes can be expounded upon to include the many blessings in your life. My list is to serve as a guide to awakening the thankful heart within. You may have been able to identify with many things. You may feel that some of these gifts are missing from your life and you have a long way to go. Don’t be discouraged, even if you aren’t working doing what you love, say thank you in advance that you will. Even if you do not yet feel prosperous, affirm that you are and be definite about it. One of the ancillary benefits of a gratitude list is that the very act of gratitude causes you to be magnetized to your good. Each time you sit down and do this exercise you are creating a future filled with these gifts.
I must admit that I have become rather addicted to writing my gratitude list. I began it on faith the same way I am asking you to try it. After just a few short days I began to feel a bit more hopeful and positive about myself and my circumstances. As more time passed others noticed a glow about me. This was enough to have me continue the practice but there was even more. I discovered that the things that I was being grateful for improved. It was as if my writing was watering the garden of my dreams and all the good stuff started to grow. Even though it felt like fiction when I began it has become fact for me. My gratitude list has come true for me and I know that it will for you. The power of a thankful heart can make all dreams real.
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