How to Practice Gratitude and Attract More of What You Want

Studies have shown that grateful people are happier people. Oftentimes, we think we must first be happy to feel grateful when it is actually the other way around. Let me change the word ‘happy’ to ‘joy’ instead. Happiness is elusive, but joy and contentment can be found in every moment.

In this article, I want to share with you tips on how to practice gratitude in order to live a joyous life and attract more of what you want.

How can practicing gratitude improve our lives?

1. Consistent practice of gratitude can help you in times of adversity and challenges.

2. Practicing gratitude helps elevate your emotional and energetic vibrations, which are essential for attracting and manifesting what you want.

3. Gratitude can free us from the ‘victimhood’ identity. Realize that everything happens for us, not to us.

4. The Mindfulness Awareness Research Center of UCLA stated that gratitude can change the neural structures in the brain, thus enabling us to literally rewire our mind and body’s old response patterns to more productive ones.

5. “Happiness doesn’t make us grateful, gratefulness makes us happy” – David Steindl-Rast

How does practicing gratitude help us attract and manifest what we want?

“Gratitude” is not just positive thinking. Feeling genuine gratefulness is a powerful human emotion. In utilizing the Law of Attraction to manifest what we want, one of the most noted tips is feeling as if you already have the thing or experience. It is not wishful thinking, but tapping into the desired reality as if it’s already happening.

Practicing gratitude helps with exactly just that. The more we rewire and train our muscle memory to return to the space of gratefulness, the more we are able to send out the good feelings and attract more of the same thing.

It is so incredibly easy to get stuck in a toxic cycle of victimhood. When a challenge small or large arises in our life, we are overcome with feelings of fear, anxiety, and stress. When we are living in this state of being, it becomes difficult to attract what we want. Instead, you may find yourself seeing more of what you don’t want manifest in your life.

After consistent practice of keeping a gratitude journal, I was able to recover quickly from the immediate fear response and begin accepting challenges and seeing them in a new light. Instead of dwelling on the “bad” situation that’s already happened, I was able to more quickly accept and begin to move forward, even seeing the positive aspects of a categorically “negative” experience.

Ways to start your daily gratitude practice

1. Gratitude journal – This is the method I use and prefer. It’s a great method, especially for beginners. It is absolutely normal if at first, it’s difficult to find things you’re grateful for. It is a muscle that needs to be trained and strengthened.

You can write or type out your daily gratitude list at any time of the day, but see if you can allocate a specific time period so it becomes a daily habit.

You can list small mundane things like “I’m grateful for this cup of coffee right now.” “I’m grateful for my friends and family.” to “I’m so grateful to be living and breathing at this moment”. Get creative and have fun by looking for things that make you feel grateful and joyful.

The most important thing is to remember that it’s like going to the gym, if you stick first to the routine, your muscles will strengthen and it will become easier and easier for you to find things to add to your list.

2. Tell someone you’re grateful for them – Once a week, find one person in your life and write them an email or text message describing why you’re grateful for them.

I like to do it randomly rather than on a schedule. Whenever I think of a friend or family member, I like to send them a message to let them know I’m thinking of them. For the gratitude practice, try and think of all the unique qualities about that person you appreciate and love.

You’d be surprised how much this can mean to someone!

3. Add gratitude and loving compassion to your meditation – or start meditating if you don’t already have a practice. As you’re sitting or laying down during meditation, call up the feelings of gratefulness towards yourself, other people, things, events, and anything you want. Imagine adding the curve of a smile and gentle loving energy to the things that you feel grateful for.

I like to begin by sending thanks and love to myself. You cannot share your wealth with others unless your own well is filled.

Imagine and envision each person or thing in front of you, radiating with a glowing circle around it, give your gratitude and seal it with a smile.

How to practice gratitude when things get tough

We all have those days when it seems like nothing is going our way, and it becomes incredibly hard to tap into that space of gratitude. It’s okay!

Many of us have a strong relationship with control. We love to have every circumstance meet our expectations and we would love every person to behave the way we want them to. However, the more we cling to these expectations, the more pain and suffering we bring upon ourselves.

“Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.” – Buddhist quote

Practice:

Close your eyes and Imagine whatever situation that’s a challenge for you right now. Instead of avoidance or any negative feelings, see if you can just allow this thing or person to exist. Imagine sitting on a bench next to a friend, or having a cup of tea with them. If negative feelings arise, just allow them to ebb and flow like the waves of the ocean. Don’t attach additional thoughts or feelings, return to your breath as an anchor. When you feel “comfortable” or a level of “ease”, simply wave goodbye to them. Send this challenge off with some lightness and loving compassion. (you can repeat this process as many times as you need)

Helpful tips on practicing gratitude

1. First and foremost, always have patience with yourself. When it’s hard to feel grateful, be grateful that you have more moments to try.

2. Once you’re comfortable with writing down gratitude, see if you can attach or conjure up genuine feelings of joy and gratitude to accompany each thought. Emotions are one of our most powerful tools to attract what we want.

3. When you’re writing down things or people you’re grateful for, try to also come up with the reason “why”. Really explore in-depth how this particular thing makes you feel good or appreciative.

4. When the practice is difficult, instead of forcing yourself to feel a certain way, list small practical things.

5. Have fun with it! It’s your playtime and it’s a time for you to step into your power and begin creating your new reality.