An Exercise in Gratitude

©2005 Tina Montalto

Let's flex our Gratitude muscles a bit. Let’s get them in shape. Build up some strength and stamina in this attitude of our Minds. I have heard it said that God does not need to receive our gratitude, but we need to give it.

Giving thanks is a simple concept. We show appreciation for what we have, what we have been given. You receive a gift and what is the first thing you say? "Thank you." It is a natural and spiritual response. An attitude of gratitude will put that much more power behind your feelings and declaring of your good.

If you are working on your prosperity issues, for example, you can recognize all that has already been given to you and be grateful. You are now thinking out of a higher consciousness of prosperity. And a higher consciousness can only produce higher experiences. Gratitude does something else. If we say thank you for a prayer answered or a treatment demonstrated BEFORE we happen to see any physical evidence of that demonstration, we keep any doubts at bay. We believe more and stay in that belief longer. The more we can convince ourselves of receiving our good, the stronger the prayer or treatment. Gratitude is the amplifier in the sound system of our thinking and belief. So boost the amps the next time you do a treatment with some heart-felt gratitude.

Here is the Gratitude Exercise:
Consciously spend the next day (just one day, you don't want to be sore in the morning!) being grateful for everything that went RIGHT that day. (You will be amazed how much actually did go right!) Do it as you go along. Not just at the end of the day when you have the time to reflect -- although that is not bad either.

This is how I exercised the other day:

--The alarm clock worked and I woke up on time. Thank you, God.
--The toilet flushed. Thank you, God.
--The shower and the hot water heater worked so I had a wonderful warm shower. Thank you, God.
--The electricity is working so I could blow dry my hair and make my coffee. Thank you, God.
--The car started. Thank you, God.
--I made my train and it was on time. Thank you, God.
--There was an open seat on the train and I had a comfortable ride. Thank you, God.
--The train arrived at the station without incident. Thank you, God.
--I walked to the office in the cool morning sunshine. Thank you, God.
--I did not get hit by a cab on the way. Thank you, God.
--My computer is functioning perfectly. Thank you, God.
--I had what I needed to complete my assignments. Thank you, God.
--I finished my work on time and everyone was happy with the results. Thank you, God.
--I had a wonderful, tasty lunch. Thank you, God.
--I had a productive day. Thank you, God.
--I took the train of my choosing and had a smooth ride home. Thank you, God.
--My house is still standing when I get there. Thank you, God.
--There is food in the refrigerator. Thank you, God.
--I had a great dinner. Thank you, God.
--The dishwasher did my dishes for me. Thank you, God.
--The cable didn't go out. Thank you, God.
--My cats behaved while I was at work. Thank you, God.
--I have clean clothes to wear tomorrow. Thank you, God.
--The air conditioning is working. Thank you, God.
--I have the most comfortable bed to sleep in. Thank you, God.

I could go on, but you get the idea. What will this exercise do for you? It will cause you to focus on things you normally don't focus on. Your mind's eye will be opened to all the good that happens in your life on a daily basis, but what you dismiss or pay little attention to. And what you give your attention to, grows. Wouldn't you want things going smoothly in your life to grow?

Be grateful in the moment. Recognize in the moment. So much more goes right than goes wrong in our lives. As the Bible says "Think on these things."

As you do this exercise more frequently and for longer periods of time, you will build up a subconscious attitude of gratitude. It will become second nature to you. It will become part of your mental atmosphere, and you will just have a constant and underlying feeling of gratitude not for anything in particular but everything in general. And this atmosphere will attract to you more and more good things.

[Article Source: http://www.positivearticles.com]

Gratitude is an essential part of creating what you want in life through the use of your thoughts. It attracts and magnifies the power through which our thoughts operate. Do you need to strengthen your gratitude muscles?

Tina Montalto is the founder and president of Conscious Kernels, Inc., an ePublishing company specializing in New Thought spiritual eBooks, audio books, eCourses, and music located on the web at: http://www.consciouskernels.com. She is the author of "You are What You Think" available for free at the company’s website. She is the creator of a one-of-a-kind pop-up electronic Affirmations Calendar, and serves as instructor for several eCourses on Spiritual Mind Treatment also available.

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