How to use Gratitude to create a bounty of change in your life

Consistent gratitude is one of the most powerful tools that you can use to propel yourself into a brighter tomorrow. Gratitude isn’t a magical shortcut, though. It’s not a lot of kumbaya. It doesn’t necessarily create any changes outside of yourself. What it can do, however, is open you up to other opportunities within yourself.

As you become aware of the multitude of blessings already present in your life, you may begin to focus on abundance more and more. This can set you on a path to a mental state rich in optimism.

This transformation takes place as you begin to express genuine gratitude to others, and start feeling gratitude for everything in your life that brings you joy.

Become Receptive to Abundance

A great way to increase your awareness of the abundance you already have is to start a gratitude journal. You don’t have to wait for something great to come into your life to appreciate it. Instead, just open your notebook once a day and take a few minutes to write down everything you’re thankful for.

You can feel grateful for anything, big or small.On days when you think you have absolutely nothing to be appreciative for, you can prime the pump by taking stock of the little things. For instance, take note of the air you’re breathing or the food in your pantry. I’ve always loved the Bible scripture:

Psalms 118: 24 “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Once you realize that there are so many things to be grateful for, even the very breath of your life, you’ll find that you can think of more and more blessings in your life.

After several weeks of journaling in this way, you may find that you’re spontaneously running into “good luck.”

But it’s probably more to do with training your brain to spot opportunities. You’ve convinced your subconscious that you’re positively swimming in abundance. And why not? You deserve it!

Gratitude is a Tool

Gratitude can put you on the path to becoming a stronger person. Use gratitude proactively to arm yourself against negativity and tough times. Focus on what you do have as opposed to what you don’t have.

A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology entitled “Counting Blessings versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-being in Daily Life” found that those who maintained a grateful attitude experienced greater physical and psychological well-being.

The study claims that daily gratitude increases self-esteem. It also reduces materialism, envy, and self-centered tendencies. Gratitude can also help you to form more meaningful relationships and generate the greatest wealth of all, social capital. People who consistently express gratitude are trusted more than those who don’t.

Still other studies suggest that as you cultivate gratitude, you’re more likely to grow in response to stress, instead of shrink.

By keeping the things you’re thankful for in your mind, you can reduce stress. When you deal with stressors more pro-actively, others will notice your new-found confidence.

All of these effects combine to create new opportunities in your life that you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. So go ahead: start a gratitude journal, and let the stress melt off. Open yourself up to the possibility of abundance. You’ll be glad you did! One of the habits I’ve tried to maintain is writing one thing a day on a calendar of something I’m grateful for. At the end of each month you have at least 28/30/31 things you can reflect on if you should get into a “feeling low” time.

Hugs and feathers from the nest~~()~~

Kim Steadman is the COOP (Chief Online Operating Person) for The Re-Feathered Nest. A place of encouragement for moms entering the Empty Nest Zone who are ready to RePurpose and ReDesign according to God’s purpose for their lives now that the kids have flown the coop. Kim can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheRefeatheredNest and on Google+ at +Kim.