# 7 Steps To Effective Gratitude

By: Terrie Wurzbacher

How many times a day do you say "Thank you"? Who do you say "Thank You" to? Every time you say it, you should remember and record it. Gratitude is power.

There are several universal laws - so much more than the Law of Attraction! You'll uncover more of them as you delve deeper into metaphysics. But the way to get results faster is to have Gratitude for everything....Effective Gratitude is when you consciously express gratitude during as much of your day as possible. It really is fun!


1) Start and end your day with Gratitude.

As soon as you wake up or get up start saying your "gratitudes". Some folks say "thank you" even before their feet hit the floor. Others wait and start their daily "thanks" as they are brushing their teeth. No matter which one you choose, make sure you start before you leave the house in the morning - before you leave your bedroom area would be best.

Each night before you go to sleep repeat the process. Once you start doing this you'll realize how much has happened during the day and you'll have even more pleasant dreams.

2) Journal your "Gratitude".

Take some time each day to jot down those things that happened to you each day for which you're grateful. They can be big things or little things. The more little things you "track", the bigger your next "Divine Surprises" will be. You can journal in a notebook or online but there is something extremely valuable about writing down your "Gratitude". If for no other reason than to be able to look at your journal when you think things aren't going so well for you. Glancing back at your track record will lift your spirits immediately.

3) Make this your mantra - "I am so grateful for (or that)".

If you keep that saying at the forefront of your mind, you'll be able to spot things immediately that you previously would have ignored. For example, if you're sitting at a long traffic light, instead of fuming, start saying "I am so grateful that I have the time right now to look around me and see the results of creative minds - look at all these wonderful cars that people have designed." Allow yourself to realize that man has gifts and talents and that you, too, have these same talents. Expressing gratitude for what you see around you will bring it even closer to you.


4) Say your mantra at least once an hour.

Until it becomes a habit, time yourself and make a conscious effort to be thankful for something every single hour you're awake. At work you can stop and silently say a "Gratitude". At home, you can take a break at a commercial. In the car, use a traffic light or a stop sign. At the gym, use a walk break or a transition between machines.

It doesn't matter if you're saying the same "Gratitudes" over and over again in the beginning. Initially the whole point is to remember to do it. Once it becomes a habit, you will see so many other things to be grateful for and variety will no longer be an issue for you. The whole point is to "just do it".

5) Express gratitude no matter what the appearance of something.

Declare everything a "success" EVEN if it doesn't look like a success right this minute. We can be so limited in what we see sometimes and we may perceive that something is bad just because it wasn't what we wanted or expected. But since we often cannot (or will not) see beyond our nose, something that doesn't look so great right now may actually be the best thing that has ever happened to us. Just declare it "good" or declare it a "success".

6) Take complaints and make them "Gratitudes".

Use this as an advanced technique of expressing your gratitude. At the start it may be easier to use other people's complaints because you can be more objective about them. Let's take a common one at this point in time - people complaining about the cost of gas. What can you be grateful for about the high cost? How about, changing family values and activities. Maybe the cost of gas will be causing people to spend more time with their kids and engaging in activities together at home. What a novel idea? Maybe even the cost of gas means that kids won't have as many cars or be able to go out as often. Perhaps that will decrease the number of car accidents or even exposure to drugs and alcohol. Just find something to be grateful for in every situation.

7) Stressed out? Unable to think of a "Gratitude"?


That's ok. You're not in a creative writing class here. You're simply trying to let the Universe know that you are grateful. And if things don't seem to be going great, just repeat frequently that you're grateful you're alive and breathing and able to walk and talk and think. Be grateful for the "little" things - things that really aren't little but we take for granted. The Universe will be very happy to hear you thank it for your body and your mind. Again, the whole point is to BE THANKFUL for something. When this seems hard, use the easiest of all - "I am so happy and grateful that I am alive!"

Once you begin to pay attention to the occurrences in your life, you will actually start to have fun by saying your "Gratitude". You'll begin to look for new and exciting things to add to your written journal (and you'll be forgiving and understanding if a few times, you just write the same thing over and over again - you'll know that just the act of doing that is what has to happen).

As you start becoming attentive to your life and the wonderful things that happen in it, you'll wonder why you never learned this before. Your outlook will change completely. And best of all, you'll start having more in your life to be grateful for. There is always supply and all you have to do is express your gratitude to the Universe and it will, in turn, shower you with more!