Excerpt from the book "The Secret to Life 101"
Gratitude is truly one of the best ways to shift negative energy and be in the present moment, especially when things don’t seem so great. Have you ever noticed when you meet someone experiencing a harder time than you, you feel a little better about your own circumstances? This is because it creates a vibration of gratitude for not being as bad as “that.” When we start to appreciate – even the little things – we move our focus of attention to what feels good. Since feel-good feelings are like a magnet, they will draw more positive energy to you.
Meditation is another great way to shift your energy and become really clear and focused. Because mediation alters brainwave activity, it allows you to “re-program” the mind. If you choose to be with positive thoughts and a deep sense of gratitude during meditation, your mind and heart will shift into the good feelings of appreciation, giving you access to change your experience in life. As your vibrations shift, you alter what you attract in to your reality. Whatever you have experienced, you attracted to you, based on emanating vibrations. So be mindful of your thoughts and feelings, making certain to always choose good ones!
Combining meditation and appreciation, creates meditaciation – a new form of meditation that focuses only on being in gratitude for everything in life, including the stuff you may not particularly like. Start by meditating on a bothersome issue and then look for the meaning, purpose or value in that experience. By recognizing the value in challenging experiences, the internal vibrations shift (what you’re saying and feeling around your circumstances) into higher vibrations of appreciation, allowing the purpose of that experience to shine through. Having gratitude in your heart and in your head, allows you to drop the resistance you have around what’s been bothering you, and begin to feel acceptance, and possibly compassion.
Exercises in Gratitude
A helpful exercise in gratitude is to write down all that makes you grateful. Then write down all you currently have in life that you don’t want. Next, really examine your life and see what you’ve learned, or where you’ve grown from having those things in your life that you don’t want. Finally, be grateful for all lessons and growth you’ve experienced, including appreciating all of those things you have in your life currently that you don’t want. Doing this generates an attitude of acceptance (instead of resistance) which creates a positive flow of emotion (rather than a negative one.)
If you’re having difficulties with a particular person, write down 10 things that you appreciate about them, including their positive attributes. Focusing on those qualities creates a shift that sends out a signal that you’re accepting of that person, and have dropped all resistance. Sit back and watch how the relationship shift! I did this with my ex-husband and it totally changed our relationship. We went from not even being able to have a decent conversation (without judgments) to having extended joyful conversations – and I actually look forward to speaking with him now.
Once you’ve made the gratitude list, hold those thoughts in meditation. Spend 10-20 minutes a day focusing or meditating on that list. No need to sit cross-legged with closed eyes; feel free to be active! Meditating is simply attaining a particular state of mind that has focus, clarity and peaceful acceptance, which can be done taking a walk or doing yoga. Adding gratitude to the mix creates ease around a situation and can be a real vibe lifter. So enjoy meditaciation and feel the magic of appreciation. It’s like putting rocket boosters behind your desires! See my website
www.BrendaYoung.com for a free meditation on shifting your perspective with gratitude.
When stating desires, it is also important to make sure there’s no attachment to a particular outcome. Having an expectation of the way things “should be” creates more resistance because there’s an attachment to the expectation. Using your imagination and visualizing (with emotion) – emotionalizing – is not the same as having an expectation. One of the biggest causes of an upset is having an unmet expectation – which creates resistance and pushes away that which you desire. Do your best to let go of any negative feelings, thoughts or beliefs. This will allow you to stay present in your everyday experiences.