The magic of gratitude and appreciation

Hello Amazing Soul,

As a child, I was brought up to acknowledge how fortunate we were and that we should be grateful for what we have, which of course is true, but I think appreciation is a valuable concept, which resonates well with me.  For me, gratitude seems to hold the need for someone to have done something in order to receive it and I believe basic human needs, for example, food, water, shelter, health care, education, etc should be available for the whole of humanity unconditionally.

We take for granted so many basic things that others don’t have and it is important to take time to acknowledge these things.  But it is not just things we take for granted, we do it with people too.  Employees should feel appreciated for their efforts, and partners,  friends, people that assist you in stores, restaurants, medical centers, etc.

About 20 years ago I bought a finca  (Spanish farmhouse) which needed renovating. The property had none of the things so many of us take for granted like running water, mains electricity, and central heating, but it had so many other benefits for example being in nature, my children and I growing vegetables, a variety of pets, etc.  My daughter’s health was not great during this time, and after numerous trips to the medical centre and still no sign of the legal documents which would enable us to improve the finca, I decided enough was enough and found a property to rent.  It was the moment I turned on the lights in our new house, and they came on automatically, I had a huge wave of gratitude. That wave of gratitude became a tsunami when I touched the radiators and went to run a bath for the children.

It was about 5 to 6 years ago that I considered interchanging the words gratitude and appreciation. It came about for me when trying to find the good in traumatic experiences.

Gratitude and appreciation have a high vibration frequency, so when practicing this magical act, use the word that resonates with you most to achieve optimum results.  This simple act has incredible benefits that lead to living a fulfilled life. By practicing gratitude/appreciation you are raising your vibrations, which opens the way to releasing your own blocks and creating channels for opportunities and growth.

We have all had those moments when we feel everything is falling apart and it’s easy to lose sight of all the good in our life, but it is paramount that we direct our energies on the good.  The art of gratitude is not a new concept but it is easy to fall into the  ‘woe is me trap’  without even realising it.  This in itself blocks you from living the life of your dreams.

We are all at different stages of our journey/awakening, we are all facing our own challenges and we all have our own dreams and perceptions of situations, but we can all practice gratitude/appreciation. We are living in unprecedented times and facing immense challenges so it’s important that we release the positive energy that gratitude and appreciation bring.  The art of gratitude and appreciation is available to all no matter what your colour, race or religion, there is no special way to do it and it’s free.

A popular, and highly successful, way to start your gratitude journey is through journaling.  Think of ten things each day that you are grateful for and why and write them down in your journal.  Acknowledge the true feelings you have for each thing that you are grateful for.  If journaling isn’t for you at the moment you can still participate in this daily exercise by thinking about or saying aloud what you are grateful for and why.  Personally, I know a journal is very useful and it can be fun, so jump on that train as soon as you are ready.

I know that some of you are suffering immensely for a wide range of reasons, but however bad it seems right now to you, I urge you to practice gratitude and appreciation.  If you really can’t think of ten reasons today, look for three. Tomorrow you will find more.

I practice gratitude/appreciation daily.  Even during the times when life has been unimaginably challenging for me, I have made a point of practicing it and allowed the magic to begin.  It is a natural part of my daily life and I practice it every morning whilst sitting outside on my veranda, watching the sunrise.  Believe me, it is a wonderful way to start the day. As you become more aware of the art of gratitude/appreciation, it will become a natural part of your life too.

Recently someone close to me was given an appointment to see a transplant department, which is a surreal situation to be in. Once the initial shock had settled in and I had shielded myself from other people’s reactions, I focused on the positives of this situation, and not the challenges of the unknown.  Of course, negative thoughts have raced through my brain, but the second they start I practice gratitude and appreciation of the situation.  Within seconds I feel more empowered.

As you can see, gratitude/appreciation can help you put your own challenges in perspective which enables you to live a happier life.  The positive energy you ignite when practicing gratitude will start healing your situation.

Are you still stuck with starting this practice?

Let me give you an extreme scenario and some examples:-

Scenario – your partner dies leaving you with children to raise, no income, debt, no transport, uncertainty over housing.  You are emotionally destroyed and life is overwhelming.

‘I am grateful that I’m alive because my children need me.’

‘I am grateful that I’m alive because I want to reach my true potential.’ 

‘I am grateful that I have my children because family is important to me.’

‘I am grateful for this opportunity to look for new sources of income because it will open up a new chapter for me.’

‘I am grateful that (name) called me today because it made me feel much better and I now have some ideas.’

If you or someone close to you is seriously ill these statements might be helpful to start you off.

‘I am grateful for/appreciate my carers because they make my life easier.’

‘I am grateful that I am here to help (name) with their illness because I have the strength and patience to give them the courage to carry on.’

‘I am grateful/appreciate that I have family and friends to support me.’

‘I am grateful/appreciate that I am alive and have people that love me.’

‘I am grateful/appreciate that I have the strength to carry me through this part of my journey.’

Hopefully, all the elements of these scenarios don’t apply to you, but if they do, don’t despair, act now.  Gratitude will give you the strength to overcome the situation.

As I’m writing this I can hear some geese gaggling which made me smile, so I took some time to appreciate the experience.  But there’s more, the sound of the goose not only made me smile but gave me a chance to acknowledge and be grateful/appreciate that I can hear, that there are so many natural sounds around me, that I live in an area where this is possible.  Many people wouldn’t have heard the goose.

It is important to practice gratitude/appreciation whatever phase of your life you are going through.  Open up to the magic of gratitude/appreciation and get on your true life path.

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Love and light,

Nicola