It is always opportune to simply kick back from time to time and reflect on what is working in our lives. That is, what is it that we are truly grateful for?
Gratitude is something we tend to overlook. How many of us reflect on those things we perceive to not be working as opposed to that which is? I would hazard a guess that right now you are nodding your head, going ‘yeh, you’re right’.
“Gratitude, changes everything”
It appears to be a much easier disposition to dwell on the things we see as wrong or not working, when really there is so much more that is actually right and working. If you are struggling to believe me right now, go grab a piece of paper and a pen. Divide the page into two columns and head them up with working (in the left column) and not working (in the right column).
Now fill your columns. If you really reflect on all that is working, your ‘working’ column will be much longer than your ‘not working’ column. It isn’t?
Well, perhaps that is because you overlooked the fact that:
- You wake up every morning
- You have a bed to sleep in
- Your body moves so you can get out of bed
- You have a house
- Your house has water
- Your house has energy to heat your water
- You have a refrigerator to keep the food you have cool
- You have coffee/tea or the beverages of your choice
- You have clothes to wear
- You have shoes to put on your feet
- You have a job to go to OR you have a job to do
- You have family and friends in your life
- You have clean air to breathe
- You have your health
- You have a car to drive or public transport to catch
Gratitude doesn’t have to be just about the big things, it is about everything that life dishes up, even when things seem unpleasant. It is about being grateful for the lesson, or the ability to resolve the issue, or the determination to do something different.
Gratitude is choice. You can choose to be truly thankful for all the things in your life or you can choose to focus on the one or two things that don’t seem to be working right now.
For example, you may be focussing on things like: I don’t have enough money, I don’t have the right dress/car/house/job, I will never find the partner of my dreams.
“We become, what we think about”
These thoughts are about lack and if, as according to Earl Nightingale, the “Dean of Personal Development”, we become what we think about, then it makes sense that we will simply end up with NOT enough. So a simple strategy is to become aware of all our thoughts and every time you hear yourself fall into the trap of “I don’t” reframe the thought into a positive “I have.”
Try these:
“I have all the money I need to pay all the bills I have.”
“I have everything I need. Life supports me in every possible way.”
“I have unlimited wealth. All areas of my life are abundant and fulfilling.”
“I have all that I seek within me already.”
“I have wonderful work, in a wonderful way. I give wonderful service for wonderful pay.”
Regardless of whether you do right now or not, is not the issue. The fact that you are focusing on having plenty will provide the opportunity to create this outcome. You see, if we focus on what we don’t have we end up in a state of fear and worry. And fear and worry is crippling. If we can reframe our thinking into that which we can achieve or will achieve, it will drive us to that end.
You can train your thoughts; you can learn to think in a way that will assist you in achieving the outcome you desire. Affirmations (and spells) are a great strategy for this.
In effect affirmations are a style of rote learning, an old teaching technique based on repetition. So to constantly repeat framed statements (affirmations) over time, attitudinal and behavioural change will occur. Particularly so, if you actively engage with the intention behind the statement in the affirmations you are repeating.
Develop your own affirmations or research those already developed by others. Florence Shinn, spiritual teacher and metaphysical writer is a good source of reference.
Not sure this could work for you? Have a go. You have absolutely nothing to lose and potentially much to gain.
Happy Learning.
ACTIVITY:
Make your list now.
Write down all those things you see are working and not working for you right now.
I bet your working list is bigger!