The Importance of Gratitude

A lot of people are interested in the Law of Attraction right now. The movie, The Secret, has mainstreamed a concept that used to require quite a bit of research before acquiring. This is a remarkable development and a very positive one.

One of the great conduits for the law of attraction is Gratitude! How can we move on to what we want if we are not grateful for what we have? Noone is so far down in the depths of despair that they can't find one thing for which to be grateful. Even if that one thing is just the mental acuity to recognize your despair.

While gratitude is an important thing, it is so easy to forget it. We get caught up in daily obligations and relationships and we forget. Think about what people talk about when they come back from vacation. What is the one thing they seem to have treasured most? Usually, after all the talk of the superficial things, you'll hear something about how nice it was to get away from the television or telephone (although with cell phones, this is getting less common) and just to appreciate the sunrise/sunset, smells of nature, laughter of the children, etc. Appreciation is easier to remember when we get away from the daily responsibilities of life. It's easier to be grateful when we're caught off guard by unfamiliar surroundings.

On the beach, it is easier to be grateful for the beauty of a sunrise perhaps than from our own yard where the sunrise reminds us of the weeding or mowing that needs done.

It isn't always easy to remember gratitude, but it is possible and important.

Many people teach their children to say their prayers every night. Often these are prayers of gratitude as they "God bless Aunt Penny and Grandma...." To bless someone is a way of showing or expressing our gratitude for them.

You've heard the expression, "Count your blessings instead of sheep." That phrase hit home for me one night a couple of weeks ago when I had been having trouble sleeping. Earlier in the week, I had made myself Gratitude Beads. These are prayer beads that I use to keep my mind focused as I meditate upon the things for which I am grateful.

When I couldn't sleep, I grabbed those beads off my nightstand and started meditating. I fell asleep. Soon, I awoke again but this time when I woke up I had the beads right in my hand and before I could think of anything negative or scary, I thought of gratitude and continued listing the things that make me thankful. I finally was able to rest that night. Gratitude pushes out any negative thoughts that may try to creep into your mind in the wee hours of the night.

I use the beads during the day as well. I hold the beads in my hands and as I say, either silently or out loud, each thing for which I'm grateful I feel the texture of the bead between my forefinger and thumb. I then move to the next bead and this keeps my mind focused on the next thing. It works beautifully.

I am also finding that the beads act as a visual reminder to be grateful. When I am getting caught up in obligations and small thinking, I see the beads and remember and say "Thank you."

This has an amazing effect. Gratitude is motivating. Acting out of gratitude is so much more enjoyable than acting out of obligation. I want to do things that show my appreciation for things, for people, for myself and for my higher power. When I am thankful, my life is better and I attract even better things to me. Life just keeps getting better and better with more and more things for which to be grateful!

If you want to get a serious jump on attracting wonderful things to yourself, try saying "Thank you." Be grateful for what you have. Be grateful for what you know is on its way to you. Be thankful for the ability to think this way, with clarity and gratitude.