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Things to be Grateful For: Experience Gratitude Like Never Before

Countless times, I had heard about how gratitude was transformational, how it was the single most important state of mind in taking us from a place of struggle to a place of acceptance. While I understood it and got the significance of it, I still didn’t ‘get’ it.

You see, I hadn’t yet been blessed with the experience of gratitude.

I did all the necessary things – made a list of things to be grateful for, maintained a gratitude journal, did guided meditations on gratitude etc.

But it was all at an intellectual level. Emotionally? It hadn’t sunk in yet.

I was ‘doing’ but not experiencing.

It was only when I had my first experience of gratitude years later that I understood what a special state it is. It is an immense blessing from the Universe and if you are someone who experiences living in gratitude every day, know that you have been given a huge honour by Nature.

Such a state is possible only through Divine Grace.

So, from experience, here is my five-step method to experience gratitude. The order is not important but the intention is:

STEP 1: Form a gratitude practice. Whether it is a list of things you are grateful for, doing gratitude meditation or even simply feeling thankful for being alive, form a daily practice and stick to it. It could be a 30-second practice, a 10-minute practice or a 60-minute one. It doesn’t matter. Just be consistent. Stick with it.

STEP 2: Begin looking at everything and everyone around you with a positive eye. I know this sounds overly simplistic but really, this is a miraculous state to live in. Try it to believe it. Imagine looking upon every experience and every person in your life with optimism.

Have you imagined it?

Good. Now, begin living it.

STEP 3: Consciously perform one act of kindness every day. Through the course of our day, Nature gives us numerous opportunities to be kind. We may even utilize them. However, consciously making up our mind to perform a specific act of kindness and following through with it is different.

It invites us into a mindfully compassionate and empathetic space. We choose to be kind. And that makes all the difference.

STEP 4: Spend a few minutes every night, tuning into yourself. The simplest method I know – sit on your bed just before settling in. Close your eyes and take seven deep breaths. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Scan your body, head to toe, allowing yourself to relax.

Then, plonk down onto your pillows and sleep 😊

STEP 5: Pray.

In my experience, this was the determining factor that gave me my first experience of gratitude. When we sincerely seek gratitude and yearn for it, our heart automatically begins to pray. A prayer doesn’t mean going down on our knees at a specific time of day and bending our heads to God though that is certainly effective.

A prayer can be as simple as putting one thought out to the Universe, as you’re going about your day. You are doing the laundry and you’re struck by a longing for gratitude. Just send a one-line letter to God:

Please. Please help me experience gratitude.

And then, carry on with your day.

That’s all it takes. Prayer doesn’t have to be fancy. It’s, after all, your heart’s voice. God will hear you, no matter how you reach out to Him. This is true for anything, not just gratitude.

Whatever you have to say, a one-line letter is all that’s needed. But.

Consistent, sincere, humble one-line letters 😊

There are innumerable ways to experience the state of gratitude. After all, to be grateful is one of the fundamentals of faithful, joyous living. What I’ve outlined is just one method – a simple but powerful method.

Go ahead and try it. I guarantee you, your life will never be the same again.

For gratitude is God in action.
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