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Using the Power of Gratitude to Manifest Your Dreams

Gratitude is a critical step in the process of dream manifestation. Expressing gratitude each day—for what we have in our lives at this very moment—can change our vibrational energy and what we attract into our lives. Using gratitude wisely alters every choice we make. Particularly in times of illness, anger, sadness, or loneliness, gratitude gives us a way to make an immediate shift in our mood and ultimately, our energetic vibrational level. Gratitude brings us back to our center, restoring our personal power.

Practices of expressing gratitude, such as keeping a daily gratitude journal, have been shown to create more alertness, hope, enthusiasm, attentiveness and energy in the people who developed regular routines to express gratitude. In a 2003 study done by Drs. Emmons and McCullough, they found that study participants who kept a weekly gratitude journal felt better about their lives as a whole, reported fewer physical complaints, and exercised more.

Begin using the power of gratitude to transform your life and manifest your dreams by establishing a regular practice of expressing gratitude. The following are steps that you can take to begin your own practice of incorporating gratitude into your daily life. Research in behavior change suggests that it takes 25-30 days to establish a new behavior. So select one or two of these steps and give them a shot for 30 days.

  • Keep a Gratitude Journal. If you’re not in the practice of keeping a journal, this is a wonderful way to start. Begin and/or end each day by writing down at least 5 things that you are grateful for that day. It can be as simple as “I’m so grateful that I have legs to stand on” or if it’s been a particularly challenging day, you may write “I’m so grateful that this day is over!” If you already keep a journal, complete each entry with your list of gratitudes for the day.
  • Express gratitude for the most basic aspects of your life as you go through the day. For example, as you shower or bathe in the morning, feel grateful for the water and soap you have for bathing. Express gratitude for your sight and your legs that carry you through the day. Saying grace before each meal is a wonderful way to express your gratitude.
  • Be generous with your expressions of gratitude to others. Meister Eckhart, a 13th century philosopher said, “The most important prayer in the world is just two words: THANK YOU.” Take the time to say thank you throughout the day, especially to the slow grocery store clerk or the bored bank teller or the rude sales person. Simple expressions of thanks will reward you many times over and can shift the energy of the person receiving your gratitude.
  • Acknowledge and express gratitude for the beauty of nature that surrounds you. Become conscious of nature as you go about your day, taking a moment to look at the sky, flowers, trees, etc. Feel grateful for each element that you notice.
  • Develop a switch in your mind that shifts negative thoughts to ones of gratitude. The moment you catch yourself spiraling down with a negative or fearful thought, train your mind to flip the switch to thoughts of gratitude and appreciation. You control your thoughts and you can change them at will.

At times you may find it difficult to feel grateful, especially if you have suffered the lose of a loved one. The good news is, you do not have to feel gratitude in order to express it. Because the very act of expression will result in a vibrational shift within you that opens your heart to new possibilities. Give it a try!

Copyright ©2007 by Suzy Spivey. All rights reserved.

Suzy Spivey is the author of “The 30-day Gratitude Journal”. She is also a Certified Dream Coach™, Inspirational Speaker, and TV Host & Producer. Click here to purchase copies of the “The 30-day Gratitude Journal.”

Published on Wednesday February 18, 2009 in Daring to Dream, Gratitude and Life coaching. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

The Power of Gratitude

Think of a time in your life when you felt truly grateful for someone or something. Can you remember how you felt in that moment? Did you feel love, connectedness, possibly a sense of wholeness? If so, you witnessed the power of gratitude in that moment. Now imagine if you could replicate how you felt in that moment and experience those sensations every day. How might your life change if you felt love, connectedness, and wholeness on an ongoing basis?

Gratitude is defined as the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful. It’s considered to be an emotion or feeling we express. But isn’t gratitude more than that? Since the beginning of time, the expression of gratitude to a higher power or deity has been the hallmark of almost every religion. The central theme in most world religions today is giving thanks to God. In fact, gratitude can be developed into a daily practice and become a way of life. Gratitude will open the gateway to your heart’s desire and put you on the fast track to manifesting your dreams.

“Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.”
—The Hausa of Nigeria

In the past five years, gratitude has captured the attention of the scientific community and we now have scientific evidence of the power of gratitude. In a 2003 study conducted by Drs. Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, they found that grateful people experience a greater sense of feeling connected to others, higher levels of life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress. Study participants who kept a weekly gratitude journal felt better about their lives as a whole, reported fewer physical complaints, and exercised more.

I first discovered the power of gratitude in 1998 when my world seemingly crumbled before my eyes. I left a successful, 15-year career in publishing to find my true calling. I knew in my heart that there was more to work than earning a good salary and getting the next promotion. There was something deep inside calling to me, but the voice was faint and I found it difficult to access the volume control. So rather than embarking on my intended discovery process, I rapidly dissolved into a major identity crisis—who was I without a job title with which to identify myself? This crisis led to a crushing sense of despair and fear. My “soulmate” who had encouraged this bold career shift eventually decided that he couldn’t handle my depression and moved out of my home and life, leaving me alone with nothing but my thoughts. As I struggled to pull myself out of the black hole, I found exercise to be the only reliable boost. That was taken away with a knee injury that required surgery and 4 – 6 weeks on crutches. So I found myself alone and home bound with no outlet for my one reliable endorphin boost.

My book shelves were filled with inspirational books that I had collected over the years, so I started reviewing the kernels that I had highlighted and underscored searching for some meaning in all of this. I discovered that they all delivered a similar message, which Buddha captured most succinctly with these words, “we are what we think.” A-HA! I finally understood that the more I focused on what I didn’t have or didn’t want in my life, the more I got of just that. As I allowed fear and doubt to paralyze me, I shut off my connection to my higher power making it impossible to receive what I wanted.

I was reading Sarah Breathnach’s Simple Abundance and decided to take her advice and start a Gratitude Journal. So each night I would write down at least 5 things that I was grateful for that day—no matter what. There were days when I struggled to find 5 things, so I would write “I’m so grateful that this day is over” or simply “I’m so grateful to be alive!” It doesn’t really matter if you feel grateful in the moment. Expressing it regardless of how you feel is the important step. In fact, the most important time to express gratitude is when you feel it least.

Within a week of starting this daily practice, things began to shift. Friends showed up to take me out since I couldn’t drive; on one of these outings, a new man showed up and brought a smile back to my heart; a new career opportunity appeared—literally—with a phone call intended for someone else. It didn’t take much to convince me that gratitude works! It truly can transform your life if you will acknowledge the abundance you have right now in your life which will open your heart to receive. It really is as simple as that.

Copyright ©2008, by Suzy Spivey.

Published on Tuesday February 17, 2009 in Daring to Dream, Gratitude, Law of Attraction, Life coaching and Living Your Dreams. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .