If you read our mailer a few weeks back, you likely remember my encouragement to plot your year with a future focus of gratitude. The blog post from that week took you through our process of creating our year of accomplishments in a state of appreciation, being thankful for what we have done this year as if it has already occurred. This process is a game-changer for aligning yourself with that which you desire. Trust me, it works.
Now that 2020 is well into way, I want to share with you a practice Brittany and I have incorporated into our lives. I started this ritual on the 30th of December, ending the decade cultivating even more gratitude in my life. It only takes about 10-15 minutes, and sets the tone for the day: Gratitude Journaling.
See, I am a believer in the Law of Attraction. The energy you are putting out is exactly the energy that is coming back to you, like a magnet. So if you are hoping for more amazing things to happen in your life, you’d better think amazing thoughts and feel amazing emotions to back it all up. Thats where gratitude comes in; focusing on all the things you appreciate will attract more circumstances to appreciate. Utilizing the power of this law can alchemize so many powerful things in our lives that can be perceived as positive or negative; it just depends on the energy you are emitting.
This is one of the reasons I decided to implement this gratitude practice into my life. The way I see it, the more gratitude I have for my body, belongings, experiences, and relationships, I will continue to exponentially gain more out of life to feel grateful for. Abundance is all around me. I adopted the practice from the book, The Magic by Rhonda Byrne, which has a full month of different gratitude practices that can be incorporated into your life. I haven’t finished the book yet, but I will continue with this practice long after I do.
Here are the steps to accomplish this simple yet powerful activity:
- As early in the day as possible, find stillness in a peaceful place. Perhaps at your altar, bedside, or any sacred space you can find. Say the words “thank you” to yourself repeatedly until you can feel the emotion of gratitude swelling in you. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, but saying those magic words can help you feel it.
- Write down something that you are grateful for. An example would be “I am so grateful for my home” or “I am thankful for my children.” It really can be anything you have done, experienced, own, or even aspects about yourself. The options for things to be grateful for are limitless.
- Next, write down a reason why you are thankful for that things you put on paper. Explaining your reasoning for why you feel gratitude will intensify your feelings of gratitude. An example would be “I am so grateful for my house because it provides me shelter during the cold winter months.”
- Read the sentence to yourself out loud, and add the words “thank you” at the end.
- Feel the gratitude somatically in your body. Take a few moments to breathe that gratitude in and out.
- Repeat this process until you have 10 things written down. Remember to feel the gratitude, and don’t forget to say “thank you.”
This process puts me in such a beautiful state of mind. When I am consistently feeling gratitude, I begin to notice so many things around me to give thanks to. Through this practice, I have cultivated so much gratitude that I have noticed some amazing shifts in my perspective. I have realized how powerful gratitude is, not just for me, but for other people as well. When I express gratitude with sincerity to another, if they are truly receiving, it draws gratitude from that individual.
This practice will change things for you. Your life is already rich in so many ways, and continually expressing your gratitude for it will bring you all the abundance the universe can offer.
Do you have a gratitude practice you utilize in your life? Let us know in the comments. We love to hear your ideas and thoughts!
“Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is the true prosperity.” – Eckhart Tolle
Photos by Melody Olivas
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