I remember always being grateful.
Grateful for what I had and have
Grateful for my education
Grateful for the many opportunities I have been offered
Grateful for the unlimited support from my parents
I remember the first time I was grateful.
I was six or seven years old, hanging out with my brother and sister at Walmart. I remember having my eyes on a gigantic doll, but I felt that I couldn't have it due to financial limitations. All of a sudden, my brother offers me the beautiful, bright green doll, which made me so ecstatic, I found myself being filled with joy and gratitude.
Another similar moment happened was when my parents decided to enroll me in a private, and relatively expensive high school. At the time, I could not believe that I would have the chance to go to this school. My purpose to learn had amplified as I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and focused on my goal to succeed. I remember waking up and feeling lucky to be heading to this school. There were, of course times when I slipped and took this opportunity for granted. By my senior year, however,I felt grateful for everything that I had received so far in my life.
Practicing gratitude is simple and beneficial, if only we could ritually implement it in our everyday lives. I've noticed that it's much easier to complain about what we don't have rather than focusing on what we do have in life. But, how can we practice gratitude?
Once upon a time, I strayed from life and sat in a mental, dark room. I had stopped practicing gratitude without being aware of it. I had no idea how I ended up in that room, and I began feeling negative towards everything around me. It wasn't until a dear friend gave me the idea of writing what I'm grateful for in a journal everyday. This idea seemed so silly at the time; however, I began writing ten things in my journal that I was grateful for. With time, I enjoyed writing down everything I felt lucky to have.
For example, I would say simple things such as, "I'm grateful for a roof over my head, food on the table, and a safe walk from school to home." Eventually, I got in the habit of practicing gratitude and my life became much more positive.
Before going to bed, I go over positive things that occurred in the day, and I wake up ready to tackle whatever I have to do. I always feel at bliss and in alignment with my inner Self, which allows my outer Self to achieve the goals I have created.
A gratitude list is one way to start the process and the other way you can begin it is by actually saying out-loud what you are thankful for. Both actions have a wonderful impact on your unconsciousness.
One thing that I must note is that this process does not work if you enter it in a completely negative mindset. Yes, it may be normal to feel skeptical at first; however, by keeping an open mind and heart, this can help alleviate stress and reduce our habitual tendency to focus on what we don't have. Once you focus on what you have and not on the lack, abundance is created.