Image (piggy bank) by 3D Animation Production Co. and coins by PublicDomainPictures
The wise Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh often spoke about the magic in simple moments of gratitude that manifest from within to bring about joy. This is a reminder that the path to true happiness is paved in gratitude.
With gratitude in your heart, abundance will come in all aspects of your life. You will see the extraordinary in the ordinary. With a conscious acknowledgment of gratitude, life becomes more vibrant and vivid, even in the most ordinary tasks.
Gratitude is like turning the dial on a handheld radio: The more we turn it, the better chance we have of picking up the right frequency. Every time we express gratitude for something, we tune in to Spirit at a higher vibration, where anything is possible. Spirit encourages us to plug in to the here and now through this open frequency channel to experience our version of heaven on earth.
Heaven on earth doesn’t mean having it all; it means having an appreciation for what we do have. It means taking advantage of those small moments that bring the most joy, like watching a sunrise, sipping morning coffee, eating a favorite meal, connecting with family, or creating art. These are moments money can’t buy.
Living with Appreciation
When we live with appreciation for what we have, and do so continually with presence and gratitude, we reinforce positive thoughts and attraction. Gratitude is an extension of the practice of flipping the negative thoughts of ego into positive higher-self thoughts. Every moment we give gratitude, we promote more positive thoughts to grow within us.
Gratitude rewires the mind and allows us to think more openly and positively, building the foundation for a new belief system about ourselves. Spirit can easily connect with us when we are in this heightened state of awareness because we are detached from our ego and aligned with the energy on the other side.
Making Gratitude Part of Who We Are
To make gratitude part of who we are requires our conscious attention throughout each day. Eventually, it becomes routine, and we naturally gravitate toward grateful thoughts.
It doesn’t take enormous effort to see the results, but it does take introspection. We must recognize a lack-mind state, which is when we are consumed with thoughts of wishing for what we don’t have, like a bigger house, a slimmer body, a nicer car, or more well-behaved kids. Yes, we should flip those negatives into positives, but we can go even deeper. Be truthful about what you are grateful for in your life. What do you have to lose?
DAILY PRACTICE: The Gratitude Bank
This visualization exercise helps you build an inner dialogue of gratitude, take stock of what you are grateful for, and shift your inner narrative from a mindset of lack to one of abundance.
Do this practice daily for three weeks to give it ample time to become a natural part of your routine. You probably won’t even want to stop once you see how positive you feel. Practice this each night before bed, just before sleep, so it has a chance to sink deeply into your subconscious.
Repeat this each morning as soon as you wake up, setting your alarm five minutes early, if necessary. The imagery you focus on will assist you in reinforcing grateful thoughts throughout the day.
Practice some deep natural breathing to get yourself into a relaxed and calm space. Close your eyes and visualize a gold piggy bank, like the simple kind children use. In your mind’s eye, see it, touch it, and connect with it. Now fill your piggy bank with those things you are most grateful for. Visualize a coin of pure golden light, and infuse your gratitude into this energetically charged coin.
Start with the simple phrase “thank you.” Feel the warmth from this transformative expression blend effortlessly with the coin of light. Every time you say “thank you,” you give grace to the world around you and the entirety of the Universe.
Imagine the coin of light entering the slot and illuminating the piggy bank from the inside out. Repeat this for as many things you feel grateful for as possible. There is no limit to the number of coins — whatever feels right. With each deposit, visualize the piggy bank glowing brighter and brighter.
The more gratitude statements you make, the more the golden light flows from the top of the piggy bank and reaches the darkest crevices in your mind. This light fills you up, causing a shift to happen within — a more positive vibration.
As the days go on, you will start to feel the effects of this light filling you up throughout the day. It’s an enormous payoff for a small amount of time. You’ll feel more confident, grounded, connected, and abundant in all ways.
Reprinted with permission. Copyright ©2023 by Bill Philipps.
Excerpted from the book: Soul Searching
Published by: New World Library.
Article Source: Soul Searching
Soul Searching: Tune In to Spirit and Awaken Your Inner Wisdom
by Bill Philipps
Reclaiming our destiny and moving forward requires finding our higher self — the innocent, virtuous, vulnerable child within us. Our spirit self is always in contact with that child, who wants us to be more imaginative, intuitive, honest, and open to receiving love, no matter what indoctrinations and toxic environments we have experienced. In Soul Searching, psychic medium Bill Philipps shows how to reconnect to that spiritual nature we had as children and why those gifts we entered this life with are important.
Using beautifully written stories and practical suggestions, Bill helps us access and build upon our innate skills of intuition, trust, forgiveness, and gratitude.
About the Author
Bill Philipps is a psychic medium and the author of Expect the Unexpected, Signs from the Other Side, and most recently Soul Searching: Tune In to Spirit and Awaken Your Inner Wisdom. His life’s mission is to help people deal with the grief of losing loved ones by bringing through validations, evidential information, and beautiful messages from Spirit, which heal and bring a sense of peace.
Visit him online at http://www.billphilipps.com/
