Whatever we are waiting for–peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance–it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart! -Sarah Ban Breathnach

How open is your heart today? And how grateful are you for where you are at this exact moment in time? We can only experience that which we seek when we recognize what we already have–what already exists in our lives. It is in that knowing that more becomes possible. It is the gratitude for exactly where we are that allows us to open to new possibility.

I often find myself striving for the next thing, whether it’s an internal or external change. It may be something as profound as wisdom, new insight, courage, or strength; or it may be something as mundane as a new business opportunity, a new source of income, a more fit body, an occasion to travel, the next perfect day with my husband and/or my children. It’s about what I want to have in the future. Attached to what I want to have is the unspoken internal message of lack–what’s missing in my life right now. When I am focused on the next whatever, I lose sight of what already is in my life. I also start to feel like I’m chasing that whatever, and it continues to feel elusive and just beyond my reach. Even those sources of pain that may be in my life at any given moment are only sources of pain because I am not willing to look at the deeper meaning of their presence with an open and grateful heart–to see those sources of pain as seedlings–opportunities for growth and expansion.

As Jack Canfield says in Jack Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction, “You are a living magnet. You literally attract the people, ideas, and circumstances to you that vibrate and resonate at the same energy frequency as yours. Your energy field changes constantly, based on your thoughts and feelings, and the universe acts like a mirror, sending back a reflection of the energy that you are projecting. The stronger and more intense your thoughts and emotions are, the greater the magnetic pull becomes. Now, this is not a process that requires any real effort; a magnet doesn’t ‘try’ to attract anything–it simply does, and so do you! You are always in the process of attracting something into your life.”

Think of your open and grateful heart as the magnet. The more heart-centered we can be and the more open and grateful our hearts and minds, the more we’ll draw to us–or magnetize–that which we most desire. Acknowledging with an open and grateful heart that this very moment is the result of everything we’ve ever thought, done, believed, or felt up to now–and that we are exactly where we’re supposed to be–allows what we yearn for to flow to us.

Starting right here and now, look at your life with an open and grateful heart. And then get ready for all that you desire to begin to manifest in your life! It can be a bellisima life–it is up to each of us to allow it to happen!

Every year in November, we in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving–the day to give thanks for the abundance in our lives. We share it with our families and close friends around a table of food reflecting Mother Earth’s abundance as well as our own bountiful lives. Additionally, many people bring focus throughout the entire month of November to the attitude of gratitude.

An attitude of gratitude is “like a gearshift that can move your mental mechanism from obsession to peacefulness, from rigidity to creativity, from fear to love. The ability to relax and be mindfully present in the moment comes naturally when you’re grateful,” according to Dr. Joan Borysenko in Inner Peace for Busy People. Having an attitude of gratitude, as I learned long ago in a 12-step recovery program, is the key to feeling joy in our lives.

When we are grateful, there is no room for feeling lack or despair, worry or fear. It’s impossible to feel fear and gratitude at the same time! When we are grateful, we are dialed into the abundance in our lives. We are able to see the glass half full rather than half empty. We are focused on what is rather than what is not. We are in the glorious present moment! If we live in our heads, we are usually in the past (where regrets may reside) or in the future (where fears and longings may be). But when we’re in the glorious present, we’re living from our hearts where gratitude dwells.

It’s easy to feel gratitude when everything seems to be going right in our lives. But what about those times when we are struggling with present-moment challenges? During those times, according to Jack Canfield in the Key to Living the Law of Attraction, it’s important to “try to be grateful for even the difficult and challenging situations that arise. It is often through these situations that we experience the most profound spiritual and emotional growth. You can learn to view each apparent obstacle as an opportunity to develop a new quality, strength, skill, insight, or wisdom and be grateful for the lessons. Each and every challenge is another opportunity for growth and expansion. Rise to these occasions, and appreciate all that you are learning in the process. Keeping your attitude positive and appreciative through these times will not only help to avoid attracting more of these difficult situations into your life–it will also create a field of positive energy that will attract more of what you do want.”

When I experienced breast cancer in 2007, I initially could not find anything for which to feel gratitude–I most definitely was not grateful for the disease in my life. However, as time passed, I was able to see that because of this difficult time in my life, I grew in courage and strength, learned many things, and had many experiences that otherwise would never have happened. The wisdom and learnings I’ve experienced, the relationships I have formed, and the life path I am now on are all a result of this profound event in my life. Today, I am overflowing with gratitude for where I am today.

There are various tools and techniques that can help bring you to an attitude of gratitude. Here is a list of a few of those ideas that can increase your gratitude awareness:

1. Carry a small token, stone, crystal or some other meaningful object with you each day in your pocket or some place that you can easily access. Throughout the day, each time you reach into that place, you’ll have a tangible reminder to stop and think of something to be grateful for. As you hold or touch your small object, take a moment to breathe and really feel the emotion of gratitude.

2. Anytime you feel yourself “awfulizing” about your life or events in your life, try focusing on all the things that are right in your life. This will bring you immediately to a feeling of gratitude.

3. Start keeping a daily gratitude journal. This is a great way to begin to develop your awareness of gratitude. This doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process–simply jot down five things you are grateful for on that particular day. This can be people, events, or things that you are most grateful for that day. As you write them in your journal, feel the gratitude and appreciation. Remember, there is no right or wrong here. Anything–including the sun on your face, the snowfall outside your window, a kind word, a friend, or just feeling good about what you accomplished that day are all examples of what you might write down. You can do this during the day, but I prefer to keep this journal by my bed and make my list just before I go to sleep. This provides me with a wonderful sense of acknowledgment of my daily blessings as I drift off to sleep.

4. If you prefer not to write before you go to sleep, try using another suggestion given by Dr. Joan Borysenko that she learned from a Benedictine monk, Brother David Steindl-Rast, author of Gratefulness, The Heart of Prayer. Every night before you go to bed, say thanks for something you’ve never thought about being grateful for before. Initially, it’s easy to come up with something new, but as time goes on, you’ll really have to dig deeper to find that something new each day. If you stick with it, however, you’ll begin noticing things to be grateful for throughout your day, knowing that you’ll need something new for that night. This simple exercise keeps you mindful and has the power to change your life.

Zig Ziglar said, “Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important, and by far the most life-changing.” So, instead of focusing on gratitude just on Thanksgiving Day or during the month of November, why not practice a gratitude attitude daily? You might just find yourself smiling for no apparent reason and declaring to yourself and others, “Life is good!”

This past Friday night, I had the awesome opportunity to be in a circle of women and share a spa experience with them. During the relaxation visualization, I asked them to see themselves waking up tomorrow with smiles on their faces and feeling a deep sense of gratitude for their lives.

I’ve read about gratitude in so many books and I understand just how important it is to connect with that feeling. However, as I visualized along with these women Friday night, I felt it flood through me in such a profound way that I had one of those a-ha moments! Even though I’ve heard it before, I experienced in that moment the knowing that when we are filled with gratitude, there is no room for other contrary feelings. We cannot simultaneously feel sadness, fear, anger, resentment, jealousy, inferiority or any other feelings of disconnection.

Along with the overwhelming gratitude I was feeling, joy was present and a deep sense that all was just as it should be. I was where I was supposed to be with these women who all have rich life stories of their own. We were all thinking of another woman whose physical life may be drawing to a close–knowing that we have all been touched by her presence in our lives. In that moment, how could we feel the anticipated pain and loss when we were experiencing gratitude at our deepest core for the blessings we’ve received from her?

In my own life, I see how easy it is to feel disgruntled over “stuff”–big or small. During the normal flow of everyday life, I can so quickly “latch on” to feelings that leave me disconnected–dissatisfaction, anger, worry, frustration, fear, to name a few–rather than connecting to those thoughts and feelings of unquestionable support–gratitude, joy, peace, serenity.

One way to feel connected and supported is to everyday think of 5-10 reasons for gratitude. And as has been prescribed by many, the best thing to do is to write them down. Each and every day–even better, each and every night before you go to sleep. In that way, you allow that deep sense of gratitude to permeate your body and subconscious mind as you sleep. How can you not wake up the next day with a smile and an overwhelming sense that all is well–all is good–all is as is should be?

I started a Gratitude Journal long ago but then tucked it away in my bedside table. Friday night, while talking with one of the women, I remembered that journal. I promised myself that I would begin again to list each and every day reasons to be grateful. They can be as small as “My family helped me with the laundry today” or as big as “I am alive.” No matter what is on the list, I am certain that I will go off to sleep feeling good! And as Wayne Dyer states in “The Secrets of the Power of Intention,” “God is in good.” When we’re connected and filled with gratitude, there’s no other choice but to feel good!