TOP TEN TIPS FOR TRANSFORMING YOUR LIFE - TIP 9

There is always something that you can be grateful for. Even in the worst of times this still rings true. Start with your breath, for example. Breathe in deeply and marvel at the wonder that is life. You are a living miracle and that is something to be grateful for. Look at your hands and think of all the amazing things that they can do for you. Go outside and listen to the birds. Think how incredible it is that you can hear them.

Featuring Danica Johnson       Photography by Paul Garrett — *Featuring Danica Johnson Photography by Paul Garrett*

GRATITUDE IS A KEY TO ABUNDANCE

Gratitude opens the doors to abundance, to love, to opportunities, to happiness and ultimately to the realization that you are enough. Gratitude raises our vibration and when we are in the higher frequency of gratitude, it is almost impossible to feel sad or upset. Gratitude is polar opposite to those lower vibrational feelings and by consciously practicing gratitude we can pull ourselves out of a funk or self pity. Have you ever noticed how nice it feels to be around a grateful person? Simply put, their energy makes us feel good and want to be around them. Remember that your vibe attracts your tribe. As you begin your gratitude practice, notice how you too start attracting positive people into your life.

GRATITUDE AND THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

Gratitude is a key aspect of the Law of Attraction, as well. When we are grateful we also attract abundance and good fortune into our lives. This creates an upward spiral that brings even more goodness to us. According to the Law of attraction, we don’t attract what we want into our lives, we attract what we are. Does that make sense to you? Believe that you are already abundant and you will attract abundance.

In the Bible Jesus said,

“Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

— Mathew 13:12

BE AWARE OF YOUR THOUGHTS

Everything starts with awareness and the realization that we have the power to create the lives of our dreams. It all starts with our thoughts and the belief that we are deserving of whatever our hearts desire as long as we are not taking away from or harming others. Gratitude is a conscious act of thanksgiving. It starts as a thought in our heads and becomes a warm feeling of well being within our bodies, which then radiates out from our hearts into the universe.

“When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy”

— His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

We are responsible for our thoughts and for our own happiness. Yes, we are susceptible to influences of the world. Watching the news these days can certainly bring us down if we let it take over our thoughts. That's why I have chosen to unplugged from it lately. The same holds true if we spend time around negative people. Their bad energy can rub off on us and also bring us down. To live a Total Soulful Journey it is important to become aware of these negative influences and to censor them from our lives.

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

My parents taught me the power of positive thinking. In fact, my dad was a fan of the positive teachings of Norman Vincent Peale. While fighting three different types of cancer my father remained positive and cheerful. His goal was to make it to his 90th birthday and he did. Two years prior, the director of his assisted living home recommended that we bring hospice in to take care of him. My sister and I knew that this would be a betrayal his spirit and his wishes so we turned down their request. Yes he was suffering, but he was always so grateful for everything and determined to reach his goal. We moved him to a nicer facility, which was much more cheerful, and this kept him out of the hospital for the remaining years of his life. His new nurses loved spending time with him during their breaks because he always cheered them up with his warm smile and his contagious laugh. Gratitude added many years to his life and made him a popular man in his community.

FIVE REASONS TO BE GRATEFUL:

Gratitude is good for your health.
Grateful people attract positive friends.
Gratitude opens the door for abundance to flow into your life.
Gratitude puts your mind into a positive frame that will make you more productive.
A grateful person is a sexy person.

GIVE THANKS OFTEN

Before going to sleep at night I give thanks for that day. And when I wake up in the morning, before I even get out of bed, I give thanks for five people or things that I am grateful for. This simple act of gratitude puts me into a positive state of mind and a higher vibration. This sets me up to have a beautiful day. If I happen run into a problem during the day, I remind myself that I have so much to be grateful for. This keeps me from falling into a negative state of being, and you know how negativity can attract more problems... So give thanks often! Life is awesome and with a grateful heart it can only get better.

Thanks so much for taking time to read this post! I appreciate you!

With gratitude,

Paul