A NEW Kind of Gratitude Practice

(If you prefer listening you'll find this topic on my podcast too!)

When you say, “Thank You” to the universe, you align yourself energetically with all the goodness in the world, and that goodness shows up in your life in the form of an expanded variety of things to love.

But “Thank you” is one of those phrases that can powerfully trigger thoughts of its opposite.

Have you ever really, really wanted something for a long time and then finally received it?

Your thanks might contain a tinge of fear—in the knowledge of what it’s like to not have the thing, and the possibility that you might return to that state of not-having.

For example, I am so grateful to live in a marina, where I can sit on my dock or look out a window and connect to the Spirit of Water all day long.

I’ve lived on the water for ten years but the view never gets old, and I still remember what it was like to yearn for this place, while at the same time fearing I might never get to experience it.

After all, it was so much more magical than any other home I’d ever had, and even after I got here I could detect inner feelings of “It’s too good to last.”

I’ve learned to deal with this by expanding the focus of my gratitude.

Instead of just being grateful for my home on the water, I say, “Thank you” to the Universe and the Earth Soul for the fact that homes on the water exist.

Can you feel the difference? To me, it feels so much more expansive!

Gratitude is the energy of HAVING, and when you switch from a fear of losing into gratitude for what exists, you bring yourself back into alignment with all the good that’s trying to come into your life.

Try it for yourself now. Think of something that’s very important to you, and say, “Thank you.”

Now give thanks to the Source within all things (and the Universe itself) not only for the existence of the thing you’re grateful for, but all things like it.

Do you feel the difference?

If you have children, expand yourself past gratitude for your particular child, and give thanks that having children is something that exists in our world.

Expand past being grateful for your home, and give thanks that homes (in general) exist.

Expand past saying, “Thank you” for your health, and give thanks for the existence of Health, itself.

And if you’re not experiencing good health, think of one thing in your body that IS healthy.

For example, if your hands are healthy and working fine, give thanks that healthy hands exist in the world.

Think with gratitude of a friendship you value. Now expand past being grateful for that friendship, and give thanks that friendships (in general) exist.

Think of one more thing you value. Now expand past being grateful for that thing, and give thanks that things like it exist in the world.

Try to use this practice every day this week, and feel yourself aligning more and more with the expansiveness of the world, and the amazing generosity of Life.

And to change how you feel every day, get my Daily Gateway Journal with a FREE 6-week video program!