It is Always The Season
For An Attitude Of Gratitude

by Gwenn Bonnell

Albert Einsten said: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

Do you find yourself waiting for a certain circumstance to occur before you feel gratefuk? Are you waiting for a promotion or a bonus, a new car, or a fantastic gift from that special someone before you feel happiness or joy?

When we focus on what we don't have, this energy only persists. Focusing on the gifts currently present in our life and being grateful for those gifts creates an energy shift toward a more abundant life.

We have the free will and choice to focus our attention wherever we wish. We can focus on what gives us joy, or we can focus on what is lacking in our life. When we choose to view the world with childlike innocence and wonder (only as a child shall you enter the kingdom of heaven), we recognize and become grateful for an abundance of miracles. It may seem difficult, at times, to look past the dramas and challenges in our world. However, being grateful for even the simplest things begins a flow of energy that can transform our perceptions in that moment.

How does feeling and expressing gratitude increase the flow of abundance in your life? There is a vibration, an attitude to gratitude, and this is the energy we need to begin changing any situation. When we appreciate a kindness received, we also feel grateful and wish to respond with that same kindness. How often in your life has someone unexpectedly shown you some kindness? Perhaps a stranger has helped you with a car problem, or someone at work offered to help you with a difficulty? Wasn't their gift received with gratitude? and wasn't their help priceless? You then repaid them with your gift of thanks. When you receive gifts and respond with thanks, whoever gave you the gift receives this energy, and your gift to them completes the circle of gratitude. There is a balance, a natural flow of energy, between giving and receiving that allows us to experience all the gifts of life.

There are times when being grateful is difficult. And there may be things that we do not want to wrap in gratitude. How can your attitude be one of gratitude when your car needs emergency repairs and you just got laid off? In the middle of the holiday season? Or when you are going through a relationship breakup? Or you become seriously ill? Even when life is good and running smoothly, does it seem like you are tempting the Fates?

Gratitude doesn't mean we have to welcome every event into our life with open arms, invite it to dinner and become best friends. Nor does it mean we slam the door in its face and pretend it's not on our front doorstep. Instead, it means we are consciously aware of and really see what is going on in our life. Pay attention to everyday reality, and try to live in the present moment. Look at what is in your life right now. Don't only look for money or material wealth, but more importantly, note the emotional or spiritual gifts you receive on a daily basis.

Are you maintaining the energy flow between receiving gifts and giving thanks? Or are you blocking the flow of energy by not being grateful? When you receive a gift, how do you reply? If a colleague compliments your outfit, do you explain that you bought it on sale, or that you have a spot on the jacket, or in some other way discount their praise? Or do you acknowledge their kindness, and verbally reply "thank you"? Become aware how your response either supercharges or blocks the flow of abundance in your life.

When energy is blocked up like water behind a dam, the flow of abundance, or gifts, into our life is also blocked. When this happens, we may feel like we're hitting a wall in every direction we turn, and we may feel cranky, tired and uninspired. We can't see the miracle hiding inside the difficult situation. How can we begin to uncover the miracle? By choosing to feel gratitude!

Practice completing the circle of gratitude when you receive any kindness or gift. Gratitude is like a muscle that needs to be exercised to develop. Next time you receive a compliment, simply reply "thank you." Sometimes voicing a gracious thank you is more difficult has more impact than returning a favor with money or material gifts. Allowing the other person the feeling of having their gift truly appreciated in the moment is your gift to them. And this keeps the energy flowing - wouldn't you rather give to someone who appreciates what you give, instead of someone who complains you don't give enough? Like attracts like: when you feel abundant and grateful, more abundance flows easily into your life.

Become aware of and thankful for all the basic pleasures we receive: a beautiful sunset, a hug from a loved one, and a compliment from a friend. The quality of our thoughts affects the quality of our life. By choosing to focus on the miracles in our life, small as they may seem, we acknowledge these miracles as gifts. What we focus on expands: the gateway to abundance is gratitude.

Be grateful for all your moments, for every moment is a miracle! The more often we focus on the gifts and miracles in our life and then feel and express gratitude for our joy and happiness, the more time we spend in the attitude of gratitude! And every season becomes a season of gratitude.

My gratitude to all who have joined the mailing list for this newsletter. May you all have a bountiful harvest this Thanksgiving and truly enjoy all the miracles in your life!

Love & light, Gwenn

Published MIRACLE JOURNEYS Nov/Dec 2000,