Why Gratitude Works

We all have goals that we want to achieve in our lives.  There is one route that will help you to achieve them faster and easier and that is gratitude.  This concept is so important to our goal achievement that Wallace Wattles in his book, "The Science of Getting Rich" dedicates a full one-third of it to this topic.

Why, then, is the concept of being grateful so hard for us to integrate into our lives?  After all, from the time we were small children we have been told that whenever we are given something we should say "thank you".  Maybe the concept of gratitude is so simple that we just simply forget about it.

Wes Hopper in his e-book "The Astonishing Power of Gratitude" says that there are 5 key mistakes that we make that keep us from being in a state of gratefulness.  They are:

A belief in scarcity, that there just is not enough of anything to go around.  We don't believe in a friendly and abundance universe

We live our lives in a state of resistance.  We do not readily accept that our lives are perfect just the way that they are.

We postpone happiness until something in the future occurs.  For instance we get that new car, new job, pay raise, etc. and then we can be happy.

We prefer to be satisfied with the status quo rather than dissatisfied.  Yet, it is dissatisfaction with the way things are that will boost us in our growth.

We see ourselves as victims of circumstance rather than co-creators of our world.

We want to hold onto grudges rather than to forgive.

We don't see the flow of abundance.  We have to be willing to give if we are ever going to receive.

If we are going to successfully achieve our goals, then we have got to understand that the universe operates by predictable and reliable laws.  One of these is gratitude.  In "The Science of Getting Rich", Wallace Wattles writes:  "There is a law of gratitude, and if you are to get the results you seek, it is absolutely necessary that you should observe this law."

Universal laws tend to operate within the natural principle of polarity.  That action and reaction are always equal and in opposite directions.  That is why whatever we put our positive energy into will grow.  It is like you placed an order for it with the universe.  That is why gratefullness is so crucial, it has a high positive energy vibration that is powerfully attractive.  A mind that is focused on gratitude is constantly focused on the best and that keeps us from dwelling on worry and fear.

The concept of gratitude is why it is always stressed that you see your goal as already having been achieved.  By being grateful in the now, you are putting an immense amount of positive energy into it's in the accomplishment.

In the next couple of articles we are going to look at these hang ups that keep us from achieving our goals through maintaining an attitude of gratitude so that we can eliminate them from our lives and live the dreams we desire.

 

Article source: Why Gratitude Works

15 Minute Exercise to Success

The secret of success in anything comes from within.  Successful people have their subconscious and conscious minds working, they focus on what they want to achieve without a moment of doubt or questioning and they work towards it step by step.

 

Sounds straightforward, but the reason other people fail is because deep down inside they don't really believe they can achieve it or they believe they don't deserve to achieve it and they give up.  There is no failure, there is only giving up.

The good news however is that you can retrain your subconscious to believe in you, develop this 15 minute exercise into a daily habit and you will be successful in whatever you choose to do.

 

Here is the exercise, follow it every day, preferably first thing in the morning for maximum benefits.

 Progress

Write down 5 things that show you are working towards your goals.  These are things from the previous day or week, or even longer, they can be things which have happened or things you have achieved, but above all they need to be evidence that you are moving in a positive direction.

Gratitude

Write down 5 things that you are happy about or grateful for in your life, it might be support of your family, the space to pursue your goals, something specific which happened, maybe meeting someone who can help you or support you.  In other words, look around you and think about your circumstances and celebrate what you do have.

 

To Do Today

Take 5 things off your to do list and write them on a new list that you are going to do today.  Now, important note here, if there is something big on there, like ‘get a new job' or ‘rewrite my website', break it down into small achievable chunks because unless you break it down and start the small steps towards it, it will always seem overwhelming and you won't start.  Put the rest of the list somewhere out of sight and decide you are just going to do those 5 achievable things.
 

Throw It To The Universe

Take 1 big thing off your to do list and throw it to the universe.  Ask for it in your mind; decide, without any ambiguity, that's what you want and expect it to happen.  Then let it go, you've delegated it, so sit back and allow it to happen, don't keep drawing it back to you. You will be amazed how things can happen when you decide it's what you want.

 

Dominant Feeling For the Day

Decide how you are going to feel today.  Yep, it's your decision, but you need to instruct your brain and body, not leave it up to the negative default to do it for you.  It may be ‘motivated', ‘calm', ‘inspired', ‘happy', ‘patient', ‘thoughtful', ‘productive', ‘energetic', it doesn't matter as long as it's positive and useful, but you must decide your dominant feeling.

 

Dare to dream.

It doesn't matter how big, bazaar, unrealistic or out there is might seem, in fact, the bigger the better, dare to dream and just throw it out there.  Close your eyes for 1 minute and bring your dream to life as much as possible, picture it or describe it to yourself, whatever you find easiest, it doesn't matter, no one will know, just put the detail in.  Your dream can be the same every day, or different, it's up to you, just don't tell yourself its not possible, go with it and have some fun.

 

Tell Your Mind It Has happened

Finally, write about something you want to happen, as if it already has in the past tense.  Just a few minutes, or longer if you like, go with the flow and just allow yourself to free-write in the past tense.  Some people find it easier to frame it as if they are writing a letter to someone.  If think in a way that it has happened, you are in effect giving your brain an instruction and it will then work out how to make it happen.  Put in as much detail as you can, where you are, sounds, smells, sights, your feelings – put it all in there.

 

Finally

Sign and date it.  Don't forget to do this part, it's important.

 

Remember

 There is no failure, there is only giving up

Article Source: 15 Minute Exercise to Success

Appreciating Money Can Prosper You

Do you wonder why it is important to cultivate a good attitude about money? Money is filled with the intelligence of the universe from which it is created. Money reacts to your attitude about it. You attract what you appreciate and money responds accordingly. If you think favorably about money, you multiply and increase it, however if you criticize and condemn it in any way, either your own money or another’s, you dissipate it and repel it from you. If you were to study the lives and experiences of prosperous-minded people, you would find that they have a friendly attitude toward money.
Remember that your thoughts make your world. Your thoughts about money have to be appreciative in order for money to appreciate you and be attracted to you. You should never declare, “I can’t afford this”. You don’t want to talk about being ‘down an out’, or even speak unkindly about those who have money. It is not wise to magnify financial difficulties. If you brag or discuss your financial troubles (and some people actually do so to gain attention or sympathy), then you will always have financial troubles to brag about.
Do not discuss the financial difficulties of others. If you think of yourself as prosperous but of others as living in lack, through the law of attraction you are inviting the same thing to happen to you. The golden rule of prosperous thinking is that you should not think or say anything concerning another’s financial affairs that you would not want to experience in your own.
When you hear of another’s good fortune, wealthy possessions or inheritance, you should feel great joy and appreciation. Don’t think, talk, or act any way but prosperously. Don’t allow others to talk to you in any way but prosperously. Don’t read anything or take seriously anything that is printed or on TV that is contrary to prosperous thinking.
Think of it as money being charged with divine intelligence that tunes in on what you say or think about it, and responds accordingly. Have a prosperous attitude towards money. Use this affirmation daily: “All financial doors are open and free and endless money now comes to me.”
Let the journey begin as you feel gratitude for all that is coming to you, all that comes to others, and all the abundance in the universe. Mentally and emotionally bask in abundance and appreciate it! Welcome money from all directions


Article source:
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/appreciating_money_can_prosper_you

3 Reasons Why Making Money Is Difficult For Most People

Are you frustrated at why you are not making money the way you would like to?

It appears as if things just don't seem to work out right? Yes you work hard, but it seems as if for every 2 steps forward that you take, 3 steps backwards follows. Making money just seems impossible and it's certainly not from a lack of effort. Why?

Chances are, that there are internal blocks more powerful than you realize that are sabotaging your efforts of making money.

The mind is composed of two parts, the conscience and subconscious parts. The part of the mind that wants to make money, achieve success and all that good stuff is the conscious mind. The part that may be stopping you form achieving your desires is the subconscious mind.

As renowned American developmental biologist and author of "The Biology of Belief" Dr. Bruce Lipton explains, our lives are run by habits, not desires. Your habits are simply your programmed responses to stimuli. The responses are in the form of thought and eventually action. All this is run by your subconscious mind. Your desires, on the other hand, are things that you strongly aspire to have. You control the conscious mind so you will take action to attain these desires.

The thing is, the subconscious mind controls 95% of what you do but you are unlikely to even notice. If what you desire (Making Money) differs from what your subconscious programming wants (status quo), then its like swimming against a really, really, really strong current. You efforts will be futile.

So what are these three major blocks to making money?

1. FEAR OF MAKING MONEY

This is the big one. You might be shocked at how fearful you are of success and a lot of money, even if you want it badly! Introspect for a second. What comes with making money and achieving success? Responsibility? Attention? A shift from what you know and are used to? Being treated differently? What else? As you slowly and deliberately think about the things that money bring, how do you feel about them? Is there a touch of discomfort perhaps with one or more of these things?

Lets take responsibility for instance. You get a lot of money; you have to worry about managing it, taking care of those close to you who would not have otherwise looked to you for support (not that you don't want to help but just the thought of the added responsibility). Remember, with all this money, people are looking at you!

You will also meet new people, people out of your usual circle. You get out of your 'comfort zone'. For those looking for true love, do you fear "gold diggers" may come looking for a bounty? Do you feel like a target? Does all of this make you feel uncomfortable on the inside at some level?

The stimuli are money and success and the programmed response is fear. This is programmed from what you have seen and heard. All this is run by your subconscious mind, which has your experiences stored in its infinitely large database. After fear, the secondary response may be procrastination from taking action to generate this money, or listing of excuse after excuse as to why 'it won't work'. You may also be prone to seeing 'difficulty instead of opportunities'. The list is endless. Fear may also come in the form of fear of failure, which results in anger, frustration and desperation. Think about this. Would you buy from a relaxed confident sales man or a desperate salesman? We all know how annoying, desperate salesmen could be.

The self-saboteur in you will operate under the radar without you noticing a lot of times. With 95% of the vote, your subconscious mind runs the show.

2. FEELINGS OF LACK AND UNWORTHINESS

Feelings of inadequacy hold back too many people from too many accomplishments. When you sit around people with money and success, how do you feel? Do you feel... unworthy? Do you start thinking about what you don't have? What you haven't accomplished? Do you feel like a lesser being, a failure? Do you feel poor? Other people pick these 'vibes' and respond to them. How many times have you seen or heard of people getting promoted simply because they 'acted the part'? This is where the phrase 'Fake it till you make it' comes from. When you feel wealthy and successful, you will act wealthy and successful. Eventually, you will be wealthy successful. It is not the other way round. This is called the 'Be-Do-Have Principle'. You have to be wealthy (feel), do the things that make you wealthy (action) and eventually have wealth.

So again the stimuli are making money and achieving success, the programmed response is 'I'm not worthy'; 'I'm a failure'. The secondary response is lack of confidence, lack of enthusiasm and lack of creativity. Your actions will be a result of these self-defeating assertions and of course the eventuality is failure, no matter how much you want success.

3. ASSOCIATING 'MAKING MONEY' WITH NEGATIVITY

Here is a good test that I have also done. Look for a picture of stacks of cash. What thoughts come to mind? Bank robbery? Drug dealers? Criminal dealings? Greed? Do you have some feelings of repulsion perhaps? What do you think of rich people? Do you think they have bad attitudes? Are they snobs?

When I first did this test, I thought of a bank robbers and drug dealers in movies. This is what I have been exposed to growing up. This is what my mind has been fed. Such a lot of money was always associated with something negative. Things that come to mind may include stories you have heard about lives ruined and families torn apart after making a lot of money. What all this is saying to you is 'MONEY IS BAD!" All this is stored in your subconscious mind. Again, the stimulus is making lots of money, and the programmed response is, ruined lives, torn families, changed person etc. If its something you find undesirable, your subconscious mind will go to work to 'protect you' from it.

LET GO OF THE BLOCKS AND START MAKING MONEY

If the subconscious mind was programmed to block money, you need to reprogram it to allow you to make money.

This is how you can do that...

Affirmations - Repetitive input of negativity led to it being perceived as reality by your subconscious mind. To reverse this, you need to repeat positive affirmations to yourself about yourself and your environment until the programming changes. You can also get recorded affirmations that you can listen to daily. Even if you don't concentrate on them, they still slowly shift the subconscious programming.

Gratitude - Gratitude creates a paradigm shift. By being grateful for what you have, you take away the feeling of lack. You can't feel successful and feel lack at the same time

Surround yourself with positive people - This is self-explanatory. Negative people feed you negativity and positive people give you the right 'programming'.

Emotional Freedom Technique - I strongly recommend this. It is often called 'awake hypnosis'. It is an acupressure technique that combines affirmations and tapping of bio-energy meridians of the body to reset bioenergy and reprogram your subconscious. It's very simple. I would recommend reading on this first so you are fully aware of what it is.

Take charge of your subconscious programming, your life and start making money!!!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7747879

How To Increase Your Unexpected Income

Unexpected income is almost the most fun to receive because it is unexpected and comes as a pleasant surprise. Most people don't look at everything they receive and consider it to be income. That's the first thing we want to focus on. Once you begin to recognize what unexpected income is, you must express gratitude for whatever it is, no matter how small it is. Recognition and gratitude when coupled with joy will increase the frequency with which you receive such wonderful surprises.

I'll give you an example of unexpected income. I had ordered some dog food and went to pick it up today. The receptionist had such a smile on her face as she said "you've never had a bill this small". I was amazed. I didn't know that I had been credited with a referral fee when I sent a friend to the vet. I did it because I think he's a great doc. So, even though I had to pay 5 dollars today, there was $50 of unexpected income. This is what we call a Divine Surprise. Most people would not have realized this as unexpected income because they would see that they had to pay something. But when you realize you would have had to pay $50 more without this Divine Surprise, it definitely constitutes unexpected income.

I spent the rest of the morning smiling and thanking the Universe for this wonderful gift. That is the second most important key - letting the Universe know that you recognize what has been given to you and that you're very grateful for it. Gratitude will also increase the power of your receiving.

Once you're home or at a place where you have your gratitude journal make sure you record the gift. This cements it into your brain and your subconscious and it even gives your subconscious the impression that you've received more than you did. What were the components of my gift today? Surprise leading to happiness and joy. After that came repeated expressions of gratitude - aloud and to myself - all with smiles and happiness. The day was topped off with writing in my gratitude journal that I received this wonderful gift. Each time I just said that I was thankful for the unexpected income. I didn't say "just $50". I simply wanted the Universe to know that I knew I had the gift and that I was immensely thankful. This will add much more power to the vibrations emanating from me.

Try this and see what happens. Did someone buy you a drink, a sandwich? Did you get a bagel or donut that someone brought for the whole crew? What about a special coupon in the mail? Perhaps you bought something on sale - that's unexpected income. Was someone in your neighborhood or a friend throwing out something that they asked you if you wanted? Look around you and see what happened during the day. I had another unexpected income experience today also. I was in a convenience store and the woman put in a penny for me rather than having to give me 99 cents in change. That may not sound like much but it's more that adds power from my gratitude.

Gratitude is essential to your success. You can download a no-cost Gratitude Journal for your PC at The Gratitude Journal - Install it on your computer and then use it. If you want to find out more about how to craft your success check out The Art of Making Things Happen.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6462455