Gratitude

Several years ago, I found a quote about gratitude that clicked for me. “Gratitude brings abundance.” I was at a point where I felt like I was giving a lot to others without my generosity being returned. I felt burnt out and it was turning me into a miser. It doesn’t really matter what the particular circumstances were. It only matters how I made it out to be in my head.

I knew it was time to change my attitude about the spirit of giving. I started looking for the immediate benefits of my generosity. Like, when I cooked dinner for friends, I focused on how we got to spend time with each other, instead of cataloging how much money I’d spent on groceries versus what people brought along. Maybe that seems pretty natural, but it shows how miserly and ungrateful I was feeling.

Being thankful is a lovely attitude to have because, besides making you pleasant to be around, it grows exponentially. The key for me was to start small. I felt grateful for iced coffee on sunny days and new sheets on my bed. The positive feeling I got from that led me to feel thankful for bigger things, like my health and my family. This is where the abundance comes from… once you find things to be thankful for, it becomes easier to appreciate all the things in your life. Plus, your positivity attracts more positivity to your life. I started to feel like the good things coming my way were because of my gratitude. Once I felt more appreciative of my friends, I also made new friends and enjoyed their company in a fuller, more open way.

The trick is to bring gratitude into your life in an active way. A reflexive “thank you” from time to time isn’t enough. Make a gratitude journal. Challenge yourself to make a list of 100 things you feel grateful for. End your day by tallying the moments when you felt thankful. The more gratitude you actively cultivate, the more abundance you will see in your life!