Just saying the word “Gratitude” makes me feel awesome.

Studies have shown that gratitude seems to impact our lives in powerful ways. People who practice this report increased energy, better sleep, less anxiety, increased self-esteem and the list goes on. I have also found that gratitude and happiness go hand in hand.

When we can truly feel into this word it pulls you into the present moment, all the regrets of yesterday and the anxiety of tomorrow just fall away and a feeling of happiness swells up.

Gratitude is a very high vibrational energy and if we allow it to, it will take us on a journey of incredible self-discovery.

We have heard the saying:

 

“The more you express gratitude for the things you have, the more things you will have to express gratitude for” Zig Ziglar

 

When we teach our children to focus on all the things they are grateful for on a consistent basis, we are actually assisting them to re-wire their little brains to be more aware during the day of these positive occurrences. They literally start to look for more things that they are grateful for. What we focus on is attracted to us.

 

It’s like when we decide to buy a new car. We have in our mind that we want to buy a red car. So, as you are driving home, everywhere you look you see red cars, there’s one, there’s another. You are focusing on red cars and therefore you are seeing them everywhere

What actually happens is you are training your kids to focus on the good things in life rather than what could or has gone wrong. The glass will always be half full.

I am going to show you a Ritual to apply gratitude into your life easily and quickly and as a side effect you will be increasing the happiness factor too.

It is great for us to journal with our kids about what we are grateful for, this gets the energy flowing and is a great way to start an ongoing Ritual that will benefit them throughout their lives.

This can become a morning or evening ritual.

 

• Firstly write down 5 things you are grateful for
• Now, choose one of those 5 things and write 3 specific things about why you are grateful for that being in your life.
• Write 5 things you are grateful about YOU

 

This last one can be a little awkward at first but don’t back out. Are you creative? Do you have a great smile? Great writer? Sense of humour?

Gratitude performed on a consistent basis creates like a snowball effect. Gratitude won’t just be a reflection at the end of the day it will actually become part of your day.

Have you ever had the experience where you have been walking down the same street you usually walk but this time things seem amazingly different?

I experienced this just recently when I was walking to pick the kids up from school. I was walking down the same street I have walked down for the past 2 years and all of a sudden I began to notice things I had never noticed before or just took for granted. I noticed the beautiful tall Eucalyptus trees and that the leaves seemed even more fragrant than usual. I then noticed the colour of certain flowers appeared more vivid than I remembered and I could hear the Kookaburras laughing in the background. This was Mother Nature at her best and a wonderful experience I will treasure.

So, what I have found is that all the things to be grateful for start to find you in each and every moment. This is when you feel the true essence of gratitude, you are connected to Mother Earth and feeling grounded and centred and your energy is expansive. It is this expansive energy that allows more to flow in and through you.

 

 

Thank you Mother Nature for inspiring me to write this article

 

I would love to hear your experiences with gratitude in the comments below.

 

Do you have a gratitude ritual?

Has this article inspired you to start a gratitude ritual?