Wednesday, March 18, 2009

How to Find Abundant Gratitude

By Deanna Collins

Practicing the art of graciousness is powerful in your life. Focusing on the things you have keeps your mind off of what you don't have in your life. When things go wrong, it's hard to stay focused on those things. But, you can still live graciously.

Why Gratitude is Important

Gratitude changes your perspective on the life that you've been given. When you have gratitude in your life you:

Look to others, and their faults and mistakes as blessings. Blaming no longer exists. Rather than to look at what you lost or what you don't have, you simply look at what you do have and go from there.

View others with an open heart rather than a closed heart. This means that you feel compassion for others regardless of whether you have anything in common with them or not. A life filled with compassion is a happy and abundant life.

You will feel less judgmental of others. Gratitude enables you to see past people's mistakes, and your own, and be grateful for their strengths.

Show mercy. Everyone has not learned to be gracious and live a better life yet. From your place of gratitude, be merciful and encourage it in others.

Look at what you do have and be grateful. Concentrating on the positives in your life attract more positive energies. How is that? Whatever you cultivate in your life will begin to grow. If you want a good life, change your focus.

Gain Gratitude Abundance in your Life

Always know what you are grateful for in life. If you want, make a list. Each day, read the list and add more to it as you feel the need. Some of your blessings that you may easily overlook: breathing each day, having food at every meal, and the good people in your life. Blessings are all around us if we choose to see them. Learning to recognize your blessings renews your hope in life and your role in it.

Practice gratefulness. You won't become an expert overnight but with practice you will see a difference in your attitude and your life. Instead of going to sleep feeling weighed down, you can use that abundance of gratitude you have developed to sleep well and wake up unencumbered by worry.

Find ways to integrate gratitude each day. Develop rituals that usher in gracious feelings within you. It could be as simple as journaling, wearing special gratitude jewelry, getting weekly pampering, or making time for family and friends. Whatever you choose, make it a positive experience.

Find ways to help others. Paying it forward puts the focus on others and not us. Give to charity, volunteer at a shelter, or show support on a case by case basis. Change the world one person at a time.

Clear away those things which are not important to you. Finally, to invite more gratitude into your life consider removing those things which do not make you feel good. Eliminate those things which make you feel negative about life and which detract from your life.

Will you accept abundance in your life? Begin by being grateful for what you have and letting it change your life.

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