Gratitude is about living in the present moment. When we’re not noticing all the good that’s in our lives, we often keep striving to achieve more, be more, get more. Or sometimes we’re locked into the past, into what didn’t work for us then. Holding onto wounds and feeling angry or hurt by past events and people victimizes us and keeps us from the present. It takes away our power. Actually we take away our own power.
When we’re in the middle of a bad experience, sometimes we don’t feel like there’s anything to be grateful for. But the negative thoughts and energy we are experiencing can be transformed or neutrallized by introducing gratitude & forgiveness practices into your life.
Sarah Ban Breathnach offers an easy exercise in her book Simple Abundance. Her idea is to write down 5 things we are grateful for each day, either in the morning or at night. The items don’t have to be earthshaking, she says, rather they can be as simple as giving thanks for a comfortable bed at the end of a difficult day.
This exercise works for anyone. It can make a good life better, and can go a long way towards changing the energy of a negative person. Sometimes people approach life from a “glass is half-empty” philosophy. This simple exercise can open our eyes to the positive that is all around us.
Best of all, gratitude somehow creates a space, an opening for more good things to come into our lives. You’ve heard the expression, ‘like attracts like’. Well the wonderful energy of our gratitude draws continually more positivity to us. So find something small or large to be grateful for today!
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Ellen Besso is a North Star Coach, personally trained by Martha Beck, PhD, and a certified counselor with a holistic approach. Through her Odyssey of Change program, Ellen coaches midlife women through life challenges as they strengthen their body-mind-spirit connection, release beliefs that limit their growth & take specific actions to move themselves towards their ideal life. If you feel unsatisfied in any area of your life and would like to explore life questions in more depth, contact Ellen at: 800 961 1364 or info@ellenbesso.com. Find out more about Ellen’s work and read articles by her at: www.ellenbesso.com
