“What if you gave someone a gift and they neglected to
thank you for it--would you be likely to give them
another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more
of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly
appreciate what you already have.”
--Ralph Marsto
We believe gratitude is one of the most powerful
spiritual tools at your disposal. Gratitude,
instead of resentment, helps you cope with life’s
challenges better, magnifies optimism, eases
depression, increases happiness, makes you feel
more in control, helps you achieve a higher level
of well-being, and helps you feel like you are in
the right place at the right time.
What are you grateful for? When you drop expectations of
the way things “should” be and express more gratitude,
your life will improve. We’ve found that being grateful
can even dramatically transform your life, within the
boundaries of your personal fate.
For example, if you feel stuck in a major rut, rather
than resist, be grateful for the situation’s hidden
opportunities. Accepting what you can’t change and being
grateful for where you are in life will allow you to free
yourself from the mental bondage and rise above the
mundane challenges. Before you know it, you’ll be having
more fun and be able to move beyond, or at least more
easily deal with, that particular life test.
Use the following list as a starting point to express
gratitude for where you are, everything in your life
that you have (even if it’s not ideal or perfect for
you right now--be grateful for how it is and what
you like about it), and all the good that will be.
Be grateful for the following: the opportunity to be
alive on Earth and to live where you do; choices in
your life; the ability to communicate; the ability to
think; the ability to read; the ability to express
yourself; the ability to love; your health; your
relationship or single status; your kids if you have
them; your parents, relatives, friends, family, and
pets.
Be grateful for opportunity for growth; life’s
challenges that make you stronger; your hobbies;
good books; opportunity to learn; emotions; passion;
your intellect; your ability to forgive; and of course
smiles.
Let’s remember to be grateful for the sun; flowers;
gardens; green grass; trees; beautiful landscaping;
nature; the forests; the deserts; the plains; the
oceans; the ability to swim in the ocean; the beach;
spring; summer; fall; and even winter.
Be grateful for entertainment, movies, theater,
travel, your favorite music and performers, the ability
to fly across the world on a jet, your favorite city,
money, good sex, and love.
It’s a great idea to be grateful for the military that
keeps you safe; cops for protecting you; firefighters
for saving you; free enterprise; civil liberties;
capitalism; economic growth; honest public officials;
voting rights; democracy; and of course the U.S.
Constitution (for those of you who are American
citizens).
Express gratitude for ethnic foods; your favorite
foods; your favorite restaurant; good sleep; exercise;
meditation; yoga; and nutritional supplements.
Be grateful for your work, employees, boss,
transportation, home, furniture, clothing, and your
comfortable bed at night.
How about being grateful for technology, the Internet,
email, and Google? We’re sure you can think of many
more things for which to be grateful.
To make the most of your gratitude, we suggest you
bond it to another dynamic spiritual energy: faith.
Gratitude and faith can be used together as one
of the most potent spiritual forces available to you,
even when things are not going the way you had
hoped they would. Cultivate the use of these forces
as often as you can and then watch your life change
for the better.
Mystic Twins
Copyright © 2009 Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo