It is November! Yep, it is the season for the holiday, Thanksgiving, which always prompts the push for gratitude. But what does “gratitude” really mean:
grat·i·tude /
ˈɡ
radə
ˌ
t(y)o
͞
od/ * noun
1. the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
"she expressed her gratitude to the committee for their support"
Similar:
Gratefulness thankfulness thanks appreciation recognition
So, gratitude or being grateful technically means to be thankful for something done for us, given to us or acknowledging us in a positive light. When you hear this, does it possibly indicate that to be grateful you need to wait for something to be grateful for? Or that being grateful is tangible?
Are you present in the here and now
with what you have to be grateful for?
This is the way the animals live their lives and they want us to do the same.
I (Allison) always thought I was acting in gratitude and being thankful for all I have been given and all I have, but boy were my eyes opened when my husband and I read the book,
The Magic
together. WOW! It is an interactive book written by Rhonda Byrne who wrote the book and created the movie,
The Secret
(If you have not seen the movie that is a definite “to do” over your Thanksgiving holiday).
The Magic
is the third book in the Secret series and is a self-help journey on a spiritual level. What a beautiful and eye-opening experience it was.
The concept of gratitude need to be turned into a “VERB”!
Yes, a verb, not a noun.
- In order to be in a state of gratitude, you must practice gratitude every day. The animals are grateful for so much including the moon, sun, grass, the warm bed you have provided them, the food you feed them, etc.
- Set your intention and express true gratitude for 10 things in your life every day (each day write 10 new things – never repeating your list.) Maybe this will inspire you to look at life from your animal's eyes and heart.
- Make the statement you are thankful for all the money that has paid your bills and the money that will come to you so you can pay your bills – when you are thankful for paying your bills you are also being grateful for the services you received and were provided from that very bill. Bet you never thought about that, huh?
When you say you are so
thankful for all the money you have ever received
your entire life, magic will start to happen and money will find you. It did for me when I started thinking of all I had been given since I was a child that I could not possibly have purchased myself. It started to become overwhelming, and I realized any strife or strain I felt in my relationship with my mother began to disappear and I felt love and gratitude for her in my life.
Even though, my husband and I have had struggles this year as I practiced just these few gratitude exercises, money would show up like magic. For instance, I took a survey and got $100 put into my paypal account, I got a refund for something I had purchased a long time ago and my expense report awarded me cash for traveling. These are magical gifts of money - if you think about, it became a reality just when it was needed.
One of the exercises is to
be thankful for the magnificent outcome!
- The key is to be grateful for wonderful results before it has happened.
- Again, you are setting your intention with gratitude for good outcomes.
- Before a phone call, before a meeting, before a vet visit, before a performance, say out loud, “Thank you for the magnificent outcome of …” Just this afternoon, my mother called me to tell me she had great news on her home’s appraisal. She had said thank you for a great outcome before the appraiser came. I gave you this example because you will see that it truly was the magic gift of gratitude at work…. this was her 4th appraisal.
This is something to think about. We are all aware of sending positive energy for healing and support. What if we amplify that thought and embody ourselves with immense gratitude that is sent out into the universe to everyone we meet and comes right back to us as magic. When
we express our gratitude outwardly to those around us
that do every day things, but never get recognized, it sets the tone for being positive. For instance, I could easily set my intention to send energy to the store clerk. However, the clerk may not realize it or receive it as intended because energy goes where it needs to go, right? But if I were to say “thank you for helping me find that item so quickly” the store clerk knows I appreciated him and he feels recognized and the next person he helps will feel his gratitude and so on and so on. It is therapeutic to express gratitude outwardly
and we do not do it often enough. Not only does it feel good to say it, but the recipient feels good and we create humanity, relationship and community. That is powerful.
You most likely express gratitude for your animals. Do you show gratitude for nature?
- When you are out in nature or even just outside on a dog walk in your neighborhood, do you say thank you for the air, the leaves, the trees, the squirrels, etc?
- Take each step while saying “Thank you” and breathe the air and say, ”Thank you”. Be aware of what is around you and how beautiful it is that you can walk in nature and hear the birds sing and the leaves whistling and the clouds that hold messages for us.
- Nature is a gift not to be taken for granted. It is imperative we speak out with our gratitude vocally to the earth that has given so much. Give back to nature and protect its existence.
Wake up each morning the minute your feet hit the floor
and say “Thank you for another day” and expect magic to happen during the day that you never could see coming. It changes your attitude, your spirit, your outlook on life and the way the world interacts and is affected around you in a wonderful way.
Live life in gratitude and even the animals in your life will see the aura of thankfulness you are exuding and will benefit from it. The animals will be grateful you view and express gratitude in a new light.
I send you Thanksgiving wishes and may your soul embody the magnificent gift of gratitude each day.
