What Is Manifestation?

Manifestation is a bit of a buzzword in society today. Everybody is talking about it, writing about it, practicing it, or trying to apply it to their life, but do we know what it is? Manifestation is sometimes referred to as the law of attraction, or even your karma.

It’s the idea that what you put out into the universe, whether actions, words, or energy, will come back to you eventually (Hurst, K., 2012, July 8, What Is The Law Of Attraction? And How To Use It Effectively).  The idea is that to be on the receiving end of good things we need to be thinking and doing good things.

So how does manifestation benefit us and how do we integrate it into our lives? Truthfully, manifestation is at this moment working in our lives, but most of us are oblivious of this fact. Therefore, many of us are manifesting negative things and outcomes simply because our thoughts and actions are more negative than positive.

For manifestation to work more favorably for us we need to be deliberate about changing our thoughts and consequently aligning our actions so that we begin to manifest good in our lives.

Visualization

The first step of manifestation is visualizing what you want for yourself. Whether you want good health, success, or love, you must first be explicit about what you want. Then you can begin visualizing what your life would be like with that thing in it.

Visualization moves you from simply desiring something to actively evaluating how having that thing will impact your life. Many people use vision boards as a visible way to practice this concept. By consistently seeing the things you want in life and the impact those things will have on your life, you increase your level of expectancy.

Belief

Once you have a clear vision of what you want and how your life would improve as a result, you must believe that it can happen. It’s one thing to want something, it’s another thing to fully expect that something will come into your life (Bernstein, G. 2016, December 13, The Five Principles For Manifesting Your Desires). Moreover, your belief system must go from a thought process that believes it can happen, into a thought process that believes it will happen for you. It is with this trust that you can then attract those things you desire.

Behavior

A final key to manifesting the things you want in life is to behave as though those things you desire have/will happen. You may be able to visualize and believe, but it can be a challenge for people to behave as though the thing they want will happen. Frequently, people do visualize and believe, yet they still make decisions that reveal they have doubts. Behaving as though the thing has happened or will happen demonstrates a level of confidence that is more likely to attract what you want in your life.

Through the principles of manifestation, you can attract a host of positives for the mind, body, and spirit. Active practice of manifestation can be linked to improved mental and physical health, positive friend, and romantic relationships, and even success and financial prosperity.

Because manifestation is principally about shifting your mindset and alignment of actions and behaviors to match that more positive mindset, there truly is no limit to what you can manifest. So, create a practical way to include manifestation in your daily life and see what good will come to you.

My final thought

I think it is in our belief that we make manifestation a tool. Having a positive mindset just affords us a way to get the best results.

This is in response to my 2nd most popular post and you can find it just below.

Simple Ways To Manifest Your Dream Life

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Gift Yourself A Kindness Mindset

You deserve the same kindness you show others

Your kindness is not about making sacrifices or denying your own needs. Treating others kindly shouldn’t be viewed as a burden or another check mark on your to-do list.

It’s the visible expression of living positively. Kindness is all about mindset, and you can train your brain to make kindness almost habitual. Have you noticed that being kind to someone makes you feel good as well? It’s because selflessness promotes a chemical reaction in your brain, releasing serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine. These chemicals not only make you feel good but also aid in the reinforcement of positive social behavior. By establishing new neural pathways, you set yourself up to live a more positive, kinder life.

Here are some scientifically proven tips to bring about added kindness into your brain.

A |Choosing kindness

In choosing to be kind, you are intentionally changing your mindset to treat people with compassion and empathy. Observe the effect your kindness has on others. When you smile, people’s natural reaction is to smile in return. You set up a kindness loop that keeps on paying itself forward!

Choosing to be kind, regardless of your mood, can even turn a grouchy day into a happier one. Your brain receives the message that all is well, and almost like magic, you’re feeling more cheerful.

B |Do more random acts of kindness

Studies show that performing five random acts of kindness each week is the single most effective way of increasing your happiness. Anything from buying a pay it forwards coffee, to bringing a cooked meal to a new mom, or mowing your neighbor’s lawn will make you and the other guy or gal feel good. (My husband’s favorite is to pay for the groceries of someone who appears to need a lift.)

C |Practice being grateful

Make it a daily practice to count your blessings. While I believe this is good for everything, research shows that people are happier when they notice the good things in their lives and express gratitude for it. The outcome is so evident that it changes your brain structure! Brain scans have shown the effect of mindfulness and gratitude.  The parts of the brain associated with stress shrink, while the regions associated with self-awareness and compassion grow.

Now that you have some ideas about how to increase your kindness mindset let’s put that new mindset to work on you.

Be kind to yourself 4 ways

Some days are not so good. Maybe you’re tired and grumpy from the get-go. And things seem to spiral downward from there. You spill your coffee, the washer overflowed and it’s your turn to provide lunch for your book club. You’re running late and you wish you could get a do-over.

If you’re having a terrible day, stop, take a deep breath, let it out, and take a little time out to be kind to yourself. You can’t undo the bad things that have already happened, but you can turn around your bad day right now. Here are four simple things you can do to be kind to yourself and put a stop to a bad day. 

1.  Celebrate your small wins

Sometimes it can feel like an accomplishment to get through the day at all! If you’re having a bad day, write down in your journal all your wins, big, and small.

If you took the time to eat lunch, made it to the gym or yoga class, fed your family, and walked the dog you are on a winning streak!  Make it fun and pat yourself on the back for all the check marks on your list. Make it even more fun by writing down the bad things that didn’t happen. You didn’t spill coffee on your boss; you didn’t get mired in traffic, and you didn’t forget to pick up the kids.

2.  Plan a treat

If your day is moving from bad to worse, plan to do something special, luxurious, and relaxing. A long bath with the good bath oil, and order takeout for dinner. Book a weekend away or meet up for a quiet dinner with your partner or a friend.

It isn’t so important what you do if you give yourself something to look forward to!

3.  Reset your self-talk

Take a moment to check in on how you talk to yourself. Do you berate yourself? Are the words ‘you always’ or ‘you never’ frequently voiced in your self-talk? Or maybe ‘you’re no good’, or ‘why don’t you’?

Then it’s time to reset your inner critic to become your inner champion and turn that self-talk around. Would you speak to a friend like that? No way! Then why be unkind to yourself? Everyone has bad days, you need encouragement, not beating up!

4.  Take time out

When all appears to be going wrong, you can halt that negative spiral by taking a break. Get out of the office if you can, go and do some deep breathing in the park, look at the sky and listen to the birds, or failing that, look out of the window for a few minutes.

Practice some deep breathing and maybe have herbal tea or a glass of water. Anything that can ground you and make you feel calmer and more in control.

My final thought

Like so many other things, kindness is seen as something we do for others and not ourselves. Without replenishment, it becomes a dwindling resource. But with the right kindness self-care mindset, we should be able to refill our depleted supply and be kinder to everyone we meet and most especially to ourselves.

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Little Kindnesses Create Huge Impacts

Grams Wisdom 22

My Gram believed that there was nothing worse you could do than to be unkind. It’s been years but I still remember how my Gram had told me, “a kindness offered to others returns to the giver.” Gram said the warmth in your heart when you are unexpectedly kind is a special feeling that you can’t get any other way.  

Can you remember how you felt after a tough day when a stranger smiled at you?  Or having helped your neighbor carry in her groceries and how she still thanks you for it? Each of these acts of kindness can make a huge impact on someone’s life.

Gram also said kind actions are like giant ripples in a pond. One small action can completely change the life of someone who then pays it forward and performs a kindness for someone else. And the cycle continues and grows.

Regardless of how big or small, the kindness is, it’s likely to have big consequences for your mental health. According to psychologists and researchers, the smallest acts of kindness create a rebound effect on not only the receiver’s psyche but your own as well.

For example, a smile increases a person’s level of comfort along with making them happier. It makes your mood better as well. That simple smile you give could be the reason someone is lifted out of despair.

We can become kinder by practicing every day. Do a random act of kindness each day for someone and observe the impact it has on you. Soon it becomes who you are, and then maybe, how you will be remembered.

Tiny acts of kindness can make a change in two ways; they are the spark for others to begin invoking their small kindnesses, and they have a contagious effect on others. In other words, when we carry out tiny acts of kindness, other people see them, inspiring more kindness.

Let’s look at another example. Say you paint the front door for your elderly infirm neighbor. The lady across the street notices this and offers to do some shopping for him. Perhaps someone else saw this and calls him the next day just to say hello. When you offer service to others with no thought of recompense, it makes you feel happier.

Small acts can create big outcomes

Kind people think others are worthy of consideration for their own sake as fellow human beings. People who tend to do little things to spread kindness are more likely to act in bigger ways as well.

Here are ten ways small acts can have an impact.

1.  Learn first aid. Learning first aid principles can help you be prepared to act if someone needs help in an emergency.

2.  Be a part of a community cleanup effort. Help clean up a park, neighborhood, or local waterway.

3.  Donate toys to the local women’s shelter.

4.  Donate flowers to someone in need in places like hospices, or care homes.

5.  Prepare a hot meal for a neighbor either down on their luck, or unwell. 

6.  Leave snacks in the break room at work.

7.  Volunteer at your local Brownies/Scouts or boys’/girls’ clubs.

8.  Donate books to your local library or children in need.

9.  Remove single-use plastic from your life. Recycle plastics and other recyclables.

10. Volunteer to read to children at your local library.

Whatever you choose to do, every tiny act of kindness can have an immense impact on others in ways you may never imagine. Each tiny act is observed and passed along to another making it expand into a big act.

My final thought

My Gram was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. She often told me if you can’t say something kind don’t say anything at all. And she made it seem effortless. It was never too much trouble to cook for a friend, provide a shoulder to cry on, or keep a great-grandchild overnight so a young working mom could catch an extra shift at her part-time job. Gram thought we all should aspire to be remembered as kind.

If this post resonated with you, please be kind and share it with your family and friends.

It’s A Less Kind World We Live In

It appears life has taken us to a place where we no longer value kindness as a trait. Kindness has been replaced with self-absorption and wanting to stay anonymous. The question is why has the world become less kind?

Is it that we no longer care about others? I don’t think so. Do we believe kindness makes us seem weak? Is the lack of kindness from some global change?

The truth is, kindness has become less and less important in our daily lives for several reasons.

· We’re in a rush. Life has become so fast-paced, filled with appointments and places to be that we feel we no longer have the time to simply sit and listen to someone.

· Technology dependence has taken place of the human face-to-face, voice-to-voice interactions of the past. No longer do we pick up the phone or meet face-to-face to talk to others. Now we spend our time texting, posting, getting involved in others drama or simply playing mindless games on our cell phones, tablets, computers, and even our watches.

Technology has allowed us to be thoughtless by being late all the time. After all, we can simply text our friend we’re running late, and they’ll know. It’s taken away the common courtesies of saying thank you, hello, nice to meet you, please, and “how can I help you”.

We no longer smile at others when we see them. We no longer sympathize or help someone who is having a rough day. Instead, we place an emoji on our social media post or in a text and think we have done enough.

There’s an app for everything. Want to have a relationship? Use this app. Want to order your dinner? Use this app. Are these apps taking away the connectedness we once had that produced kindness? The self-same connectedness people claim to want in their lives. Maybe.

· Self-absorption and self-centeredness are another reason kindness has taken a backseat. Many people are focused on their own lives, on getting ahead and doing whatever is necessary to beat the other guy.

People are more interested in taking care of their wants before they reach out and extend some type of kindness to others. We’ve become a society of “me first” that wasn’t seen as often just a few years ago.

· The way we live causes us to withdraw from others. Living in crowded cities among strangers can make you quickly hide your natural inclination to be generous and kind to others. With crime, kidnappings, murders, and other fears running wild in many cities, people have found it safer to keep to themselves. The rise in road rage keeps people from stopping to help someone with car trouble.

· How we were raised was different 30 years ago. We didn’t need catchphrases to tell us to help one another. We believed in helping each other. Neighbors looked out for each other. People weren’t afraid to help the poor and needy. People taught their children to respect others and to be trustworthy and honest.

Today people are more afraid to show their kindness. There is fear that we will be attacked for what we say or do. We don’t want to appear vulnerable and to be hurt, so we avert our eyes and try not to see those who need our kindness.

Kindness has taken a backseat to greed, technology, poor manners, and the world we live in. Instead of showing kindness, we’re afraid to be seen as the nice guy because we might be taken advantage of.

Ways to add kindness into your day

But you’re convinced that being kind is how you want to live your life. And you’re making considerable headway in cultivating your kindness mindset, but you’re still looking for some suggestions?

Try these five tactics to include kindness in your life.

1.  Practice empathy.

You probably know that saying about walking a mile in the other person’s shoes, right? It’s true, empathy and kindness are two sides of the same coin.

Remember, you can have no idea what’s happening in the other guy’s life. They could be on a high or have just received devastating news. They may be dealing with all kinds of problems. And you being short-tempered or cutting in line in front of them might be the last straw. Why choose to hurt when you can be kind?

2.  Listen to others.

Sometimes just listening is the greatest gift you can give a person. If a friend or family member is having a rough time, they need to talk. And you need to listen. You might be able to help, or you might not. To begin with, they need to be heard.

3.  Show your gratitude.

So often we’re focused on achieving the next goal, always trying to stay ahead. And that can make you inaccessible, or brusque in your dealings with others. It can keep you focused on yourself instead of others.

Try sitting back and looking around. Feel grateful for all that you have, and all you’ve achieved — being grateful sets you up for being in the kindness mindset. Instead of focusing on getting more, you’ll want to share the love!

4.  Choose kindness intentionally.

Begin every day by setting the intention to be kind. Consciously choosing kindness before you’ve even gotten out of bed puts you in the kindness zone and makes being kind easier.

You know that habits take several weeks to ‘stick,’ right? Begin a kindness habit now, and it will soon become just part of who you are and how you behave. Why it’s hardly any effort at all!

5.  Be a role model.

In a world where unpleasantness is common, and trolling people online is an everyday event, you can stand out by being a role model for kindness.

The world needs your kindness more than ever. Like positivity, kindness can be contagious. If you are consciously kind, you’ll likely set up a virtuous kindness circle–your acts and attitudes of kindness will inspire people around you to treat others kindlier. You might even shame those trolls or bullies into better behavior.

My final thought

Kindness doesn’t need to be a grand gesture. It functions well in the little things we do. A smile to a stranger, holding a door for a person whose hands are full, or a word of encouragement to someone who is hurting. Kindness warms the hearts of both the giver and the recipient.

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How To Create A Gratitude Journal That Truly Works

If you want anything to work long term, you must make it part of your daily pattern, and journaling is no different. I suggest keeping it simple with these three tips.

1 | Choose a time of day when you aren’t feeling rushed to write.

2 | Pen and notebook.

3 | Music, a nice view, anything that elicits your feelings.

You might believe that starting and making regular entries into a gratitude journal just takes up time when you have so many other things to do in your day. But like any new habit, once you become accustomed to making entries in your gratitude journal it becomes easier as time goes by.

When you take on anything new in your already hectic life you need to know if it will be worthwhile to you in the long run. But before I explain some of the more important benefits of keeping a gratitude journal let’s back up and explore the details in the above three tips about its creation.

Is it easy to begin a gratitude journal?

When is the best time of day to write?

The best time is when you have time. It can be the time when your day has the least distractions or is at its quietest. This is your choice. The goal here is to write when you aren’t in a hurry. You will want to go from “I am grateful for today” to “thank you for the home that shelters my family, filled with fun and laughter.” You want to strive for specifics and details over time.

Must I use a pen and paper?

Use what suits your style. There is no right or wrong way to keep your journal. Pretty colored pens and notebooks or a speech to text app on your phone work equally well. The key point is having a record of your gratitude you can return to on a regular basis. The ability to refer back will help you gauge whether your expressions of gratitude are in actuality giving you more to be grateful for.

Feeling your gratitude

This is the place you choose to sit and write. It is also the space in your heart that you write from. I have a place by a favorite window with a lovely view where I sit every morning to write. The moment I sit down I feel peaceful and grateful, and the words just flow. Your space can be improved by listening to music, lighting candles, or anything that lifts your spirit.

As promised here are some benefits of having a gratitude journal:

Do you exhibit an attitude of gratitude?

Appreciation for what you have

Happiness is a state of mind and the way that you think about your life determines whether you’ll be happy most of the time or not. If your neighbor has just taken delivery of a new car and you don’t have the money to buy a new car does this make you poor?

In some people’s minds, it does. But this is ridiculous. You aren’t poor you just think that this is the case. The answer to this kind of thinking is to be grateful for what you have in your life right now.

Think about the people and things that you have. You have an older car, but it reliably gets you to work every day and provides safe transportation for all the family. Be grateful that you have this. You have a wonderful partner and a healthy family that you wouldn’t change for anything in the world so be grateful for this as well.

Always remember that there are many things that you can be grateful for. It doesn’t matter how large or small these things are. If you adopt an attitude of gratitude, like this, you will be much happier in your life.

Be more positive

There is something powerful about writing things down–nobody fully understands this, but it seems that you are making a larger commitment when you put pen to paper. After a while of writing down the things that you are grateful for in your life and the reasons why it will provide you with a much more positive outlook on life.

When you are focused on the good things about your life, then you are not experiencing negative thoughts that have the opposite effect. The fact that you write down what you appreciate solidifies how you feel about your life. Positivity will bring you the things that you want in your life while negativity can take them away from you.

Boost your confidence

People who have low self-confidence tend to focus on the negative and this leads to having a low opinion of yourself. When you express your gratitude for the people and things in your life this has the opposite effect giving you a confidence boost making you feel good about yourself.

By expressing gratitude regularly, you are less likely to compare yourself unfavorably to others. Writing down what you are grateful for will also reduce any feelings of jealousy or resentment that you may harbor.

Reduce your stress

Having a gratitude journal will help you to relieve stress. While you cannot avoid stress altogether, an attitude of gratitude will help you to deal with it more effectively and your gratitude journal will support this.

My final thought

For many, many years I verbalized my gratitude. It’s what my Gram taught me. But about three years ago I began keeping a gratitude journal. After a couple of months, I noticed I felt a deeper sense of peace in my life. Another thing was that on difficult days I write lengthier descriptions of what I’m grateful for. I believe they go hand in hand.

I would love to hear what kind of gratitude practice you have.

The Effects Of Gratitude On Your Life And Health

Gram’s Wisdom 21

If you read Gram’s Wisdom 2 you would know my Gram was a great one for gratitude. She never let an opportunity go by where she wasn’t thankful for something or someone in her life. Consequently, there were always more good things than bad happening to her. Still, Gram didn’t believe that gratefulness was a panacea for all life’s ills.

Instead, Gram taught me to be thankful for my good health, smile when I didn’t feel like it, to choose happiness when I wasn’t, and to remember that whatever I might go through there are always others who are worse off. She told me to be grateful for what good things I had and that there would always be enough of those.

I am happy to say that she was right. My life hasn’t been any easier than anyone else’s, but I have had plenty to be thankful for. Like my Gram, I wake every day feeling grateful for another day and aware of all the goodness in my life.

So now prepare yourself to make the change to a gratitude-based life because the rewards for doing this are worth it.

Some benefits of gratefulness

Gratitude helps you feel happy and contented

Nobody is happy 24 hours a day but when you have an attitude of gratitude you will be happier a lot more than if you don’t have one. How does this work? Well, when you appreciate the things that you have in your life you feel contentment with what you have and can remove yourself from the “wanting” spiral.

Each time that you think about things in your life to be grateful for, and express your gratitude, then you will feel happy. Do this several times a day there are no limits. Contrast this to someone who is constantly craving new things in their life. They aren’t going to be happy very often.

Your optimism increases

Optimism is a great thing. It flips the script on your thinking from negative to positive. It gives you hope for the future and you will love the transformation. When you are a pessimist all you see is doom and gloom. You fear the future and what it will bring. Your life is controlled by events that happen around you rather than by you.

Optimism does not mean that you just blindly accept everything. What it does is open you up to a vision of opportunities all around you and gives you confidence that your future is looking bright. If you had anxiety about your future before then optimism will help significantly with this.

Challenges won’t overwhelm you

We all must face difficulties in our lives and overcome them. For some people, even the smallest problems overwhelm them. For others, the large problems stress them out, and they become very anxious. Most people have an extremely negative attitude towards the problems that they face in their lives.

With an attitude of gratitude, you will be able to see the good in everything. You will see problems as an opportunity for you to grow. For the larger problems, it is a chance for you to stretch yourself and do things that you haven’t done before. You can accept that difficulties are a part of life and you believe they will help in your growth as a person.

Physical health benefits

A lot of research studies have shown that people with an attitude of gratitude find it strengthens their immune system which leads to all other kinds of physical health benefits. With a stronger immune system, you will be able to fight off ill health and have the energy to keep going when others need to stop.

Mental health benefits

Gratitude is good for your mental health as well. With an attitude of gratitude, your stress level is lower and if it does happen then you will deal with it more easily. Because expressing gratitude makes you feel happy thereby releasing hormones that will help brighten your mood as well.

Here are some practical gratitude usages so that you get the most from the benefits listed above.

1. See your world from a gratitude standpoint

It’s understood that you are busy, but you should take time out during your day to observe your reality from a gratitude point of view. Focus on your surroundings and look for things to be grateful for. You probably take these things for granted but with practice, it should be easy for you to identify them and appreciate them.

It doesn’t matter how large or small the things that you notice are. Just see them as providing a lot of good in your life and express your gratitude for them. Do this every day and in a short time, you will begin to do this on autopilot. You will look forward to these moments because of the feeling that you get from expressing your gratitude.

2. Write your feelings in a gratitude journal

If you don’t have a gratitude journal, then begin one now. Keep it simple. A notepad will do there is no need to buy something expensive. Commit yourself to make daily entries in your gratitude journal. When you wake up in the morning write 3 things that you are grateful for and the reasons why.

Also, in the evening you can record the things that you have been grateful for throughout your day. There is power in writing things down and you can reflect on your gratitude journal entries every week to inspire you to carry on your gratitude journey.

3. Practice being more humble

To get the maximum benefit from your gratitude efforts you must work on your humility. Humility is defined as showing more respect and modesty. It should be easy for you to identify where you can be humble in your life.

Don’t take things for granted and behave as if you are entitled. That is the exact opposite of being grateful.

5. Give compliments to others

Commit to giving at least one compliment, each day. This can be a compliment that you give to another person or something in your life that you want to be complimentary about. When you give compliments to others pay attention to how they feel about this and what they say to you. It will make you feel warm inside and you will want to continue with your gratitude.

6. Turn those difficulties into prospects

This has been discussed already. When you have an attitude of gratitude it will be much easier for you to see the opportunities within any problem, for you to move out of your comfort zone and improve yourself. Each time you are faced with a problem think about what you can learn and what you can be grateful for with it.

My final thought

My Gram lived her gratitude. At the age of 101, she was still telling me what she was grateful for. And I was grateful to be the person with whom she shared those expressions. 

I hope that you will see that these benefits are truly life-changing and that making the transition to gratitude can be worthwhile to you.

If you enjoyed this post, I hope you will share it with your family and friends.

Cultivate Your Gratitude Then Practice Daily

Changing your life with gratitude

While most people are unaware of the amazing power that gratitude has and how it can transform their lives for the better. Yet, some believe in the ability we all have of improving our lives by expressing gratitude for what we already have. When you practice gratitude each day you will see changes in your life very quickly and be amazed at the transformation that it makes.

This article is meant to provide you with some examples of how gratitude can make your life a lot better. You need to have the complete inside track on how gratitude can transform your life so that you’ll be inspired to make this significant change in your life. So read these examples and then get working on your attitude of gratitude right away.

Gratitude helps you maintain a happier mood

It’s easy to fall into a bad mood if you don’t have an attitude of gratitude. If someone has done something that upsets you, rather than becoming angry at them why not express some gratitude towards them instead?  Understandably this is not an easy thing to do and it does require some practice, but the results will certainly be worth it.

You will find when you do this that your mood will change from a negative frustrated or angry state to a happier state of being. This is especially useful in your relationships with coworkers as well as friends and family. Don’t allow things they do to annoy you, put you in a bad mood, or provoke an argument. Instead, think about how grateful you are for the helpful or nice things they normally do and tell them this. You and they will feel better for it.

Gratitude improves your love relationship

The number of break-ups and divorces in the world today are rising at an alarming rate. People are frazzled and tend to fly off the handle with their partner over the smallest of things. If you are someone that frequently criticizes your partner for their failings, then try changing your approach and show them gratitude instead.

It should be easy for you to recall things that your spouse does that you are grateful for when you put your mind to it. Hey, it could be you are grateful that they ignore your failings. But whatever it is tell your partner why you are grateful they in your life and make them feel warm and fuzzy. Notice how their face changes and what words they say in reply. Gratitude will certainly help you make your relationship stronger if you give it a try.

Parent better with gratitude

If you have children, then it’s easy for you to become frustrated with them. They do things that you don’t want them to do and this leads to anger and disappointment. In this situation, most parents express their disappointment to their kids which just creates a negative atmosphere.

Rather than criticizing your kids and having them feel bad about themselves, think about why you are grateful to have your children and tell them this. This will lighten both your moods straight away and everyone will feel better for the experience.

Gratitude helps you cope with the loss

If you experience a loss in your life be it losing a loved one, your job, or something else important then think about the people and things remaining in your life and express your gratitude for them. We all face major knocks in life at some time or another and the most important thing is that you don’t allow it to overcome you.

When expressing your gratitude for the people and things that you still have in your life it will be easier to move forward positively. In the future as the pain of your loss recedes you should begin to feel grateful for the happy memories of the past.

Cultivating your gratitude

We lead busy lives these days and it can be a challenge to take time to ponder about the things in your life that you can be grateful for. But doing this is fundamental, as you will receive some incredible benefits from being grateful and for expressing your thanks for what you have in your life right now.    

Stop and look around you

Commit to pause several times during the day and ask yourself the question “what am I truly grateful for in my life?” You can also ask yourself “who are the most important people in my life and why am I grateful for them?”

When you ask yourself these questions your subconscious mind will arrive at any number of answers for you. Take these answers and evaluate why the people or things are so important for you and express your gratitude for having them in your life. This should not take you long to do each day and will improve your habit of looking for things to be grateful for.

Take a long look at yourself

Being grateful for the qualities that you possess is a powerful way to cultivate your gratitude and increase your self-esteem. Think about what you have achieved recently and the challenges that you’ve had to overcome. You can think back to your past for some good examples of this as well.

You can look beyond the things that you have achieved as well. What other traits do you possess that you are proud of? Are you compassionate and kind to others? Do you have good empathy skills? Are you dependable and loyal toward your partner, your family, and your friends? There are always lots of things that you can come up with about yourself.

What do you take for granted?

When people are starting on their attitude of gratitude journey, they will usually think about the bigger things in their life to be grateful for but please don’t limit yourself to this. The little things in your life are often more important to you.

Just open your eyes and look around you. If you are at home, then notice the wonderful things that surround you to make your life beautiful, easier, and more enjoyable. Take a walk outside and look at the beauty of nature as well.

Have a morning and evening ritual

It is easy to forget about expressing your gratitude in modern life. So, if you want to have plenty to be grateful for, you should create a new routine where you will think about things to be grateful for in the morning when you wake up and before you go to bed at night.

Think about 3 things that you can be grateful for at these times. It does not matter if they are big or small things. In the morning it could be the simple fact that you are grateful for a new day ahead while in the evening it can be that you accomplished your goals. Write down the 3 things in the morning and evening in a gratitude journal so that you can reflect on these later.

My final thought

I have noticed that some people feel like everyone else has things to be grateful for while they have little or nothing for which to be grateful. They take for granted their good health rather than expressing thanks for it. It is this attitude that prevents them from having more. Simply put, when you express gratitude for what you have you will receive more to be grateful for.

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You Are Worthy Of Abundance

6 Ways to feel prosperous when you aren’t, yet

Abundance. Prosperity. We all want that in our lives. But for some it’s meaning is wealth and success on a grand scale. While others of us want healthy, happy families and the ability to live in peace and harmony. There is no right or wrong choice. That depends on the meaning you attribute to those words and how you want to feel.

Regardless, if you want to be prosperous, feel prosperous. If you want to succeed, you must believe that you are very much worthy and deserving of it. It doesn’t matter where you are right now, what matters is what you want because that is the beginning of creating it with your mind.

To be guided by the belief that everything is a product of a state of mind is revolutionary, and yet, this has become the teaching common to all financial gurus and masters of prosperity.

Wealth is a mindset, as are all things worthy of experience in this life. Things like prosperity, happiness, abundance, and love.

Maybe you aren’t in that place you’ve always wanted to be just yet. Maybe you are getting there, but wherever you are in life, this wisdom holds great power: your mind is key to your destination – including the road to prosperity.

At any time, your results can be improved in your life by cultivating the power of your mind and choosing the thoughts which determine your reality. Acting on those thoughts sends a clear message to the universe that you are ready to accept the abundance you are sent.

Here are 6 very effective ways to feel prosperous, so you can attract prosperity naturally and create greater abundance in your life.

Believing you are worthy makes you feel worthy

Believe that you are worthy of the things that you attract towards you. You are more than enough, and even the situation you’re in right now is fundamental to every kind of prosperity that you wish to experience in life, even if sometimes it doesn’t feel like it.

Concentrate on having a positive self-image, feeling worthy and entitled to all the abundance that you desire, simply because you exist, and you deserve nothing but the best. If you begin to feel worthy, you will begin to feel prosperous.

Create room for prosperity to enter your life

To attract prosperity and let it in when it arrives requires making that space available. Prosperity is about maintaining a great quality of life, and if at present, you’re too preoccupied with negativity and a broke mindset, it’s really hard for prosperity to thrive in the same place where a negative mindset also dwells.

These two things don’t co-exist so to make space for feeling prosperous, you need to let go of your broke mindset. To attract prosperity, you need to embody it first.

Although prosperity isn’t always about having more money, feeling rich can come out of a sense of satisfaction, being contented, having peace, and joy. Before it makes its way to you, you can attract it by behaving as if you’ve already received what you were hoping for.

Do what you love

By indulging in your passions and doing those things that you love, you naturally radiate more positive energy. These vibrations can attract more positivity into your life and create things of similar frequency such as abundance, wealth, joy, happiness, peace – a state of prosperity. Take the time to indulge in your passions and you will feel prosperous.

Respond with love

Prosperity isn’t always about money, but it is in fact about experiencing life at its fullest and best, and bringing your highest self into whatever situation you may find yourself in. You’ve got the power to positively affect your life by responding with love (your highest self) – even if you may be experiencing a crisis or a problem right now.

You can’t always be happy one hundred percent of the time, especially when things are out of your control, but keeping things in perspective will reward you with feelings of calm and hope – a step towards prosperity.

Set your goals and write them down

When you choose to do something, do it with all your passion and commitment as often as you need to. With this assertiveness, life can’t help but give in to your stubborn heart and wishes. You need to have goals and strive for them aggressively. If you haven’t written them down, do it now and have something to aim for.

Take positive action and release negativity

It’s not enough to have a prosperity mindset if you don’t manifest it in your actions. Ultimately, this is the purpose for the state of mind you’re cultivating – to translate those intangible feelings, beliefs, and emotions – into tangible actions and results. Be positive and take a stand for your beliefs of prosperity. This entails releasing negativity and old ways of thinking that no longer serve you.

If you are feeling negative right now, stop. Choose to stop right now and begin to feel prosperous!

The use of affirmations for abundance

What can you do to increase your ability to manifest abundance? Positive affirmations can help you in several areas of your life. There are affirmations specific to abundance and prosperity that can help you develop a consciousness for abundance. You must think about prosperity and abundance if you want to beget prosperity and abundance. Focus on what you want to have.

When you focus your thoughts on what you lack, you attract more of the same. Affirmations can help you fill your mind with positive thoughts. It’s important to note that abundance doesn’t mean attracting possessions or wealth. That’s only one part of abundance.

I encourage you to think positively about the affirmations provided below. They cover variations of abundance and don’t just focus on wealth. The dominant thoughts in your mind radiate outside of you and leak into the world and that will attract the same back to you.

• I become more prosperous every day in every way.

• I am prosperous, I always have been, and I always will be prosperous.

• I will always have what I need, the universe looks after me.

• I have everything I need my life is filled with love, joy, and happiness.

• I am abundant, prosperity is overflowing.

• Prosperity is flowing and there is an abundant supply of money in my life.

• My actions will lead to prosperity and abundance.

• My life is abundant, and I am blessed.

• I attract prosperity and abundance because I focus on them.

• Prosperity flows around me and through me.

• I accept all the good things that enter my life and I will enjoy them.

• I easily and effortlessly create prosperity in my life.

• I naturally attract abundance and prosperity.

• Abundance is my birthright, I am abundant.

• The universe is conspiring to make me an abundant person.

• I release resistance to abundance and allow it to come to me naturally.

• I am worthy of having abundance in my life.

• I attract all that I need.

• I live in abundance, I am strong, I am happy, I am healthy.

• I give thanks for the positivity and light in my life.

• I am grateful for my family and friends who fill me with joy.

Use as many of these affirmations as resonate with you and use them as often as you like. Make a list of the ones you wish to employ and keep it handy so you can repeat them throughout the day. Write them down in your journal daily so that they root themselves more firmly in your mind.

Just like affirmations that bring you peace and calm during times of stress, these affirmations can help you to succeed as you concentrate on the type of abundance you want in your life.

My final thought

Prosperity is not a state of having, but a state of being. It’s a result of your conscious decision to choose to embody one type of mindset over another – choosing positivity over negativity, love over fear.

While money doesn’t create happiness, a state of happiness can in fact cause you to create more wealth and attract more abundance.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I would appreciate your sharing it with family and friends.