Opening Life's Flow with Gratitude

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to focus on what is missing or not quite right in life? Muc h of my life had been spent focusing on what wasn't there: not enough money, not e nough friends, and not enough time. You name it! All that was good was disregarded while I focused on the bad.

Then I discovered the magic of gratitude. By opening my view to encompass all that is in my life, it became apparent that all the while my life had been a wonderful stream of people and activities, each offering me a little more happiness, more abundance, and more possibilities.

How does that work? Since thoughts create, my thoughts of "not enough" continued to produce just that, and I continued to find areas of my life that fell short of my expectations. I perpetuated my own unhappiness.

By the same token, when I realized the power of thoughts to create, I experimented with consciously seeking to notice all that was good in my life while feeling thankful and expressing gratitude for what I found. Guess what? More good showed up! I found even more reasons to be thankful!

Here's a simple exercise that will increase the flow of good in your life: Every evening, as you are about to fall asleep, review the activities of your day with a focus on gratitude for all the good that has happened. Don't take for granted the little things. Include them as well. Then observe how your world changes.

If you really want to boost the love in your relationship, sit down with your beloved and share the things for which you are grateful in the other person. It can positively recharge a relationship that has fallen into a rut. Try it!