Posts Tagged ‘Mahalo’

The Power of Gratitude

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,

and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

~ Anonymous ~

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Thank You.  Merci (French).  Efharisto (Greek).  Mahalo (Hawaiian).  Grazie (Italian).

Click here to learn to say “Thank You” in other languages.

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What is gratitude?

The Princeton Dictionary defines gratitude as “a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation”, and Wikipedia describes it as “a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive”.  Gratitude is mutually beneficial for the giver and receiver, a win-win situation.  “Thank You” feels good whether you hear it or say it, especially if you are blessing someone’s life.  Recent attention has been brought to the importance of gratitude in manifesting one’s desires.  Law of attraction suggests advanced praise activates attracting one’s desires.  Spirituality also confirms the importance of remaining grateful in every situation as a way of activating and receiving blessings.

“Gratitude helps you to grow and expand;

gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life

and into the lives of all those around you.”

~ Eileen Caddy ~

Why is gratitude important?

Neale Donald Walsch, author of “Conversations with God”, suggests our souls choose certain situations ripe with valuable lessons to gain greater wisdom.  He reveals that accessing this knowledge shifts one’s perspective to automatically engage gratitude.  Gregg Braden, author of “The Divine Matrix”, suggests gratitude is fundamental to our survival as we approach 21 December 2012, the dawning of a new world age.  He reveals the future of the world is currently being shaped by what people choose to believe, and the future is literally being created by the thoughts people think.  Gregg states this new world age accounts for many people who have been affected by the random passing of loved ones and other curious events in recent years.  He shares that we are being offered massive growth opportunities to step into higher consciousness and experience a greater sense of gratitude than ever before.

How can gratitude work for me?

2010 has been a crazy year for many people, including me.  I found myself searching for a deeper understanding of God and universe in an attempt to make sense of the year’s weird happenings.  I explored religious philosophies and scientific theories, which only led to more questions.  My life began to seem like an alternate reality, and one day I simply prayed to know The Truth.  It seemed like it was one thing after another, and I was at my wit’s end.  I was attempting to make a note of something with a brand new ink pen that simply wasn’t cooperating.  Have you ever had one of those weeks where it seems everything is going the opposite way in which you’d like?  Well, I was there, and this just was just too much.  I asked aloud, “What do you want from me?  How do I get things to work out for me?”

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

~ Matthew 7:7-8 ~

Ask, and You shall receive.

God (or Jehovah as I call Him), or however you choose to address Him, spoke to me as clearly as if you and I were having a conversation.  He said, “Stop asking me for things, and start trusting Me.  Surrender your heart to Me.  You are my child, and I know your heart.  I love you and am working all things out for your good even if it doesn’t make sense now.  Pray with praise as if you have your heart’s desires.  Say ‘Thank You’ instead of ‘Please’, and remember to praise on others’ behalf, too.”  The Voice disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and I sat in humbled in silence.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

~ Philippians 4:4-6 ~

Did I imagine The Voice?  Could something this simple really work?  The ink pen had embossed lovely scrolls on the paper where I had been scribbling without success.  I took a breath and said, in my head, “Thank You for this pen writing.”  The pen magically began writing within seconds.  I was certain it must merely be coincidence.  I began testing the gratitude principle on other things, including a challenging situation beyond my control, and even that began to transform almost instantly.  I was quite pleasantly surprised by the immediately positive results …all from saying, “Thank You” in advance.  I was, in a word …astonished.

Why is gratitude so effective?

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘Thank You,’ that would suffice.”

~ Meister Eckhart ~

Doors open.  Light bursts through windows.  Possibility blossoms.  Blessings bloom.  Miracles manifest.

Gratitude is the ultimate confirmation of faith because it is so certain of receiving that it praises in advance.  Someone once explained it to me this way –  we know gravity is a law; therefore, we go through the day trusting it is active without questioning it.  True faith is the same principle.  We walk in belief knowing that we will see what we believe versus waiting to believe until we see.

Gratitude is our Love Song to The Creator.

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The Power of Gratitude is dedicated to Amazing, Gorgeous, Talented, and Wonderful You.  Thank You, My Dear Readers, for sharing your kind comments and radiating your awesome light.  You are a gift.  You are BeLove(d).  Shine on.

©2010 Susan Stackpole  www.susanstackpole.com

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Susan Stackpole, certified creative consultant and results expert, is the #1 coach helping celebrities, VIPs, and You celebrate your inner superstar and manifest destinyIgnite your potential, jump-start your success, and achieve quick, effect results while living your dreams.  Please visit www.susanstackpole.com for free resources on living your best life.  Sign up for the monthly newsletter, which includes celebrity tips on manifesting destiny in style.   Contact Susan to map your destiny today.

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