In some countries, November is all about gratitude and Thanksgiving celebrations. It’s a day when family and friends come together and…you’ve guessed it…give thanks!
As nice as it is to have a special day in the year for giving thanks, personally I’m a firm believer that gratitude needs to be celebrated every day!
No matter who you are, where you live, and what your life is like, there are always things you can find to be grateful for – big and/or small. The gift of another day in your life, the beauty of the trees in Autumn, the sounds of the birds singing, the instinctive intelligence of your body, the automatic functioning of your internal organs, the miracle of life force that flows through you.
These are just a few universally common things you can be grateful for, and that’s before you’ve even turned your attention towards the things that are personal to your life.
Gratitude = abundance
I love this quote from Eckhart Tolle…
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
A universal principle of life is that whatever you focus your thoughts on creates the feelings and experiences you have. Therefore, when you focus on being grateful for what you already have, you’re sending a clear signal to the Universe that you want more of that in your life.
Let’s take money as an example.
Have you ever noticed that when you’re struggling financially and worrying about paying your bills, or debt is mounting up, your mind is consumed with thoughts of lack. It can feel like everywhere you look in your life there’s never enough and things are going wrong.
Now, we need to remember that universal principles are universal principles – there are no exceptions! And so, it stands to reason that if you’re focusing on lack then what will come to you is more lack!
However, if you switch it around and focus on gratitude everything will change. If you look in your bank account and there’s only the tiniest amount of money in there, give thanks for every penny/euro/dollar of it. Every time you see a coin on the floor or find some loose change down the side of your sofa, feel grateful and speak that gratitude out loud so the Universe can hear you.
When you’re grateful for every penny you have, just watch how your relationship with money will change. Opportunities open to you, discounts and freebies come your way, windfalls happen.
Have fun with a gratitude practice
Do you have a daily gratitude practice?
Topping and tailing your day with gratitude is one of the most powerful habits you can cultivate in your life.
And don’t just take my word for it. Many of the most successful men and women in the world who swear by their many daily rituals and routines say that, if they had to choose just one consistent daily practice, without doubt it would be gratitude!
There isn’t a one size fits all way that a gratitude practice is done. It’s about finding what works for you and your lifestyle and committing to it.
Here’s a few examples to get your creativity flowing…
Journal
Get yourself a notebook (ideally one you love!) and start your day writing down what you’re grateful for and why. I always encourage my clients to aim for 10+ things (no upper limit), but if you’re totally new to this kind of practice, start small and add one extra thing each day.
Maybe you’ll want to do general gratitude in the morning, and then before you go to sleep repeat your practice focusing on gratitude for the day you’ve had.
Gratitude jar
Get yourself a glass jar (or any kind of container), cut up pieces of paper, and every day write at least one thing you’re grateful for and why on a piece. Fold it up and put it in the jar. At the end of the year, you’ll have at least 365 things you’ve felt deep gratitude for in the year.
Gratitude on the go
You don’t always have to write your gratitude down, it’s equally powerful to speak it into existence. In the shower, when you’re out walking, while you’re driving to work – wherever you are, talk about what you’re feeling grateful for.
And if you can’t say it out loud simply think it in your head and feel it in your body – remember, thoughts become things, so this is still extremely powerful.
Daily thanks with your loved ones
A beautiful daily gratitude practice for all the family is to take time before or after dinner, while you’re sitting at the table together, to take it in turns to share a few things you’re grateful for.
Or perhaps when you get into bed, you and your partner share three things you’re grateful for about each other and your relationship – just wait and see what an incredibly positive impact this has on your relationship!
However you decide to express gratitude, let your creativity flow, and have fun with it. Open your heart and be joyful and the Universe will meet you halfway and bring you all you desire.
If healing your money relationship and opening your heart to more financial abundance is something you desire, I’m here to help. Start with gratitude for the money you already have (no matter how much or how little), then take my Money Quiz and book your free follow up call. This call is packed with amazing value and actionable tips – my gift to you to get your gratitude and abundance flowing.