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When you think of the word gratitude, without filtering, what is the first thought that comes to your mind…Thanksgiving, your family, your home, car? Despite the fact that gratitude is a profoundly elevated state of consciousness and a powerful tool for the manifestation of a purposeful and rewarding life, it is often highly underrated and misunderstood to be nothing more than something you consciously focus on during the holiday season. Gratitude is the most pow­erful prayer that you can think and send out into the Universe. This is because it is a “declaration of hav­ing.”

The Law of Attraction states that ‘like attracts like’ so when you hold the vibration of gratitude you send a powerful positive energy out into the Universe that says, “YES! Thank you for all of my blessings. I am available to receive! And no matter how much evidence you have to build a case about how uncomfortable your current circumstances may be…realize that when you build a case, you are focusing on the negative … and you attract more of what you don’t want. Conversely, when you focus on the good, everything for which you are grateful, the Universe WILL respond by sending you more in which to be grateful.

How to Practice Gratitude 365

There are various ways to practice gratitude. Many spiritual teachers suggest the use of a gratitude journal, where every evening before bedtime you spend time reflecting and writing at least ten things for which you are grateful. Others speak of cultivating and maintaining an “attitude of gratitude,” which is the practice of count­ing your blessings. However, I would like to suggest something a little different. I would like to suggest the practice of being grateful no matter what – 365 days (366 on a leap) per year! I like to call this the “wedding vows” of gratitude — in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, during good times and in bad, for your current circumstances and for all the divine goodness to come — In all things be grateful. It is a compelling way to exercise your Faith muscles. When you express gratitude, every day –no matter what, you are creating a vibrational alignment with all things positive and you become absolutely magnetic to more positivity. This practice may take some getting used to and some discipline to maintain. However, once you master this expanded idea, it will have a powerful impact on your life.

So, now I’d like for you to take a moment to acknowledge how you authentically ‘feel’ about your current circumstances. If any feelings of dis-harmony appear, reflect but don’t allow yourself to dwell; recognize that your wisdom, the lessons you learn from your past, are what make you who you are and if where you are is recognizing that it’s time to evolve, then your past has served its purpose and your future is unscripted — ready and waiting for you to flex your new gratitude muscles, as if IT IS DONE, and so it is! Click here to download a simply exercise to assist you in make gratitude a daily practice. Enjoy!

As always, I’d love to hear from you. What are your thoughts about today’s post. Were you inspired to change your view about anything in your life? Are you willing to share one thing that you are most grateful for today with the community? And if this post made a positive impact in your life, please share it on Facebook and Twitter. I appreciate YOU!

Yours in Gratitude,

When I was eleven years old, I witnessed my mother suffer from and succumb to cancer. This was, at the time, the most devastating thing to ever occur in my life. My young mind could not comprehend how, or better yet, accept WHY God would allow this to happen to my mother or our family. Why did she have to get sick? Why did she have to suffer? Why couldn’t medicine heal her? Why didn’t God choose to heal her? Why? Why? Why? For the life of me, I could not understand why bad things happened to good people. I was asking questions that no one in my family, had the wisdom or emotional strength to answer. For many years I struggled to understand until one day I just resolved, in my immature mind, that I no longer believed in God. You see, I attended a religious school and I truly believed in God; that is, until my mother’s death. Little did I know or understand that shutting God out of my life would lead to a life of self-sabotage. This decision altered the entire course of my life.

“When stuck in a pattern of anger, victimization, and hopelessness, you feel disconnected from the source of power that can help you. You shut it out and believe that no possibility of healing or salvation can exist. While there is no one “right way” back from this difficult place, each painful transition invites you to allow for the possibility that there is a God, a kind, wise, and loving energy that not only guides you through the transition you seek but also helps create a transformation in your life.” ~ Lynn Robinson

My grief manifested in different ways at different stages in my life: As a child, I was devastated and sad. As a teenager, I was extremely angry and withdrawn. As a young adult, I was fearful of being in a loving, supportive relationship and having my own children therefore, I invested in relationships that supported my fear and distrust.

“…The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never, never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” ~Mary Stevenson

NOW, as a mature, life-experience adult-parent, I know — like I know, that God would never forsake me. I know that during my darkest years that it was God who carried me and I know this because I am still standing…I am a living witness to the love of God.

“People Come into You Life for a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime…” ~Author Unknown

I now recognize that there are no accidents in this life. I believe that people come into your life for a reason. Without my mother, there would be no me and without me, I would not have my incredible gifted son. The life lessons I learned as a child prepared me to be the resilient woman I am today. Those events could not have happened any other way. This was her life path as well as mine.

Today, I am extremely grateful…Grateful that I had a mother such as her: beautiful (inside and out), loving, kind, nurturing, fun and funny, loveable, unique and above all BRAVE. With the realization of all that I know, every morning, before my feet even hit the ground, I state all the things for which I am so grateful…

Thank you God for another day; Thank you for the blessing of my son and for our perfect health; Thank you God for your unfailing  love, protection and patience; Thank you for allowing me to work from home  – this allows me to be present and available to my son, have less stress and in the end better health; Thank you for the shelter that is our home; Thank you for our meals; Thank you for the luxury of having a safe and working car; Thank you for surrounding us with kind, loyal, loving, emotional-balanced people; Thank you for allowing me to be a free spirit and have the courage to think Out-Side-the-Box… regardless of what other people think; Thank you for answering my prayers and for guiding me to right action in tangible ways that I can see, touch, feel and recognize; …

Even though my mother’s life was short and sweet, the legacy of love and strength that she instilled in my heart helped me to be the compassionate, nurturing, loving, and present in the NOW mother that I am today.

None of us has to step back very far in time to think of something that caused us to dig deeply and exam our truths — what we believe is really important and what is not. Some of us have been affected more through life than others, no doubt, but all of us have experienced life events and circumstances that have thrown us back to rely on our inner resources, only to find that we have more inner strength and resilience than we thought.

To be grateful for something good that happens to us is one thing. However, to practice gratitude everyday regardless of what life presents, generates a tremendous presence of mind that is not subject to external conditions. I believe that an attitude of gratitude can turn life’s most challenging circumstances into a blessing if you surrender.

For All Things Be Grateful

What are you grateful for? Take a moment to gather your thoughts. No matter what your current situation, think of all the people, events, circumstances and things that you are most grateful for in this moment. Starting right now…I challenge you to write 10 things you are most grateful for and share them in the comments below. Then continue this practice over the next 30 days in a daily journal. You will be amazed how focusing on being grateful will begin to shift your consciousness. Expressing daily gratitude shifts the resistant energy to a higher vibration – a place where new possibilities and options exist.

Thank you for allowing me to share my personal story. I truly hope it inspires you to live your life in the present moment and with gratitude for ‘Your’ journey.  Remember, although you may not be able to change your life circumstance, you can change your thoughts and attitudes about the events that occur…For all things be grateful!

To Your Personal and Spiritual Transformation,