There are two exciting, untapped powers in the universe that are at everyone's disposal. They are gratitude and forgiveness. They are both powers that allow you to restructure your relationship to the universe and to amplify your ability to attract to yourself the good that is allotted to you. The two powers are closely connected.
A minister once talked about stumbling around in his backyard at night with a flashlight- looking for a small Christmas tree that he needed to bring in the house. In his search, by accident he knocked over the tree and its stand. In fumbling around to pick it up, he got a lot of sap on his hands. Now, as you know, sap is very difficult to get off your hands. You have to wash them a lot and you still may not get it off. So these tiny amounts of annoying, sticky sap can stay on your hands for days.
Feelings of revenge, un-forgiveness, and blame are like sap. They can linger within us for a long time, filling us with negativity and self-pity and keeping us from our good. Once we have collected these feelings, we must diligently work to get rid of them. This could require a great deal of effort. One useful exercise is to visualize someone you cannot forgive standing on stage in a spotlight. The spotlight represents your efforts to bathe them in love and forgiveness no matter what they have done to you. Even though this exercise may not have a notable effect on them, it can certainly on you. It will help you wash clean of the sap of un-forgiveness.
Part of the value of getting rid of un-forgiveness and blame is that it opens the door to gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful emotion, which can release you from a negative bonding with the universe. Focus on the good things instead of the bad and you can attract great good in your life. But, if you are weighted down with un-forgiveness, it is hard to open the door to gratitude.
But, if you succeed- and you can open the door, now you need to really focus on gratitude, just like you did with forgiveness. One interesting methodology, which is suggested in the recent film, The Secret, is to utilize an artifact to remind you to focus in the first place and to stimulate you to focus intently. An interesting scene in the movie The Secret, which speaks about how a simple rock, when used in association with the gratitude, you can enhance your positive connection to the universe. By focusing on Gratitude one can open up a door to the power of attraction inherent in the nature of things- to those who truly understand that such a power for good exists in our world.
The Law of Attraction functions best when energized by gratitude and forgiveness, two interconnected, positive powers in the universe.
I remember one afternoon the tour guide said, "Now we'll show you the wealthy part of town, where the millionaires live." We were we in for a shock! As we drove through a very nice residential area, our guide pointed the houses out to us. He commented on how beautiful the "gardens" were. (In the United States, we call it front lawn, yard or grounds.)
Actually, compared to our country, those gardens were very small. In fact, the neighborhood resembled a very modest middle class neighborhood from back home. And yet, this was the wealthy area. These were million dollar homes.
Our tour guide also told us about the taxes he paid. His take home pay was around forty percent of what he earned! That's because the government provides so many services. And yet, in telling us about some of those services, especially medical, it didn't seem very appealing to me.
Visiting Italy and a number of other countries has given me a much deeper gratitude for living in the United States. I have always been thankful to live here, but seeing so many other places deepened that gratitude immensely. Then, it began to dawn on me just how ungrateful so many people are who live here in the USA.
Honestly speaking, in this country, even our slums are better than what many other countries have to offer. What we call "poor" so many other countries would call "very well off." So many Americans just do not realize how good we have it here.
And because so many people in the United States have developed a "something for nothing" mentality and believe that they are "entitled" to have every thing given to them, they have little appreciation for what they have. As they continue to expect others to give them more and more, their gratitude for what they do have becomes less and less.
Now here is a great key: having an attitude of gratitude, or appreciating what you have and being thankful, will actually bring more into your life. This has nothing to do with settling for how things are but everything to do with increasing what you do have.
When you are unthankful for what you have, you are admitting that you have lack. Your mind's focus stays on what you don't have. All you can see is what is missing. And sadly, many people see no way of getting any increase so they expect someone else to give it to them.
On the other hand, if you will consciously look at what you do have, and be thankful for it, you are admitting that you have something! Therefore you mind's focus is not on lack, it is on having.
So, you think, "What difference does it make if I focus on lack, or focus on what I have?" You think that, "My thoughts certainly can't change my circumstances, can they?" Yes, they can!
God created our minds. He gave us the freedom to think whatever thoughts we choose to think. At this very moment, if you want to, you can think about an elephant jumping off a diving board into a swimming pool! You can think about whatever you want to think about!
But, the way God designed our minds is that which you consistently focus your mind on is what you will bring into your life. And if you will just stop for a moment and consider, you will see how true it is.
I'll bet that you know people who are consistently negative, always looking at and talking about how bad everything is in their life. Have they been like that for some time now? Yes! Has there been any change? No! Will there be any change for them? Not until they change their thinking!
Perhaps you know of others who are very positive and motivated. Is their life a disaster? No. It seems like good things just "come to them!" Do you think that they are just "lucky?" A lot of people think that they are!
The Bible says that as you think is your heart, so are you! You are a product of your own thoughts that you have built into your heart. And since you have freedom to think whatever you choose to think, you can change what is in your heart.
This is the little know secret about "gratitude!" Do you now see how being thankful for what you have right now is so powerful for your life? (Not to mention giving God the appreciation He so deserves!) Putting your focus on what He has blessed you with will bring more of His blessings into your life.
All Christians can and should receive blessings and abundance from a loving God who has promised just that. And for those who are so blessed to live in the United States, how can they get to such a point that they are looking to and expecting their government to supply what they are lacking?
Recognize, appreciate, and be thankful for everything that you have at this moment! Be grateful to God for all that you have, and continue to look to Him to supply all that you need!
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Both Gregory Hand & Michael A. Verdicchio are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gregory Hand has sinced written about articles on various topics from Real Estate, Recreation and Sports and Web Development. believes you can govern events you attract in your world through positive thinking and the touch the live's of others.. Gregory Hand's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.