Gratitude with An Attitude

With Thanksgiving season upon once again, it’s time to express gratitude for all things in your life for which you are thankful. But let’s take it a step further this year, as new energies are upon us too, we can feel more deeply. Let’s really feel that appreciation for those things in our life that have real meaning to us. When you actually feel it, you live with an attitude of gratitude and the law of attraction says you are now ready for more. If you don’t appreciate what you have, there’s no way more is coming to you.

No matter where you are in life right now, there is something to be thankful for. But it’s not enough to realize that, you actually have to be consciously grateful and feel and act out that gratitude.

I’ll start with listing things I am grateful for. These pasts few years have been hell on wheels for me, financially, emotionally and career-wise but I still have my health. I know so many people struggling with health issues at my age. So, I am grateful that I am not struggling with health issues. I am grateful that I can still fit in size 10. I am grateful for the job I have, the home I own, dear friends and family members, and my two cats that are my fur babies. Sofie and Peppa greet me every morning and when I return home at night and that is priceless.

Sofie

Pepper

So, what’s your list this Thanksgiving? Give it some thought. It can be as simple as being thankful for someone to talk to. When’s the last time you told a friend that you turned to in times of trouble that you are grateful for bending her ear for hours on end? Time is a precious commodity and people don’t have to listen.

Some of the happiest times of my life were when I had very little. Why was I thankful? It was less to worry about, less to manage. And when you have little, you are humbled and can be appreciative of what you do have. Things do not make you happy. No matter how much you think, they do. So, if you find yourself having very little to be grateful for, be thankful. Yes, you heard me right. Be thankful that you can start over with nothing. The past is over, and you are starting anew because when we are empty and grateful, the Universe will always bless us with more.

If you find yourself alone, be thankful you aren’t with someone who abuses you. If you don’t have a vehicle, be thankful you don’t have a car payment and insurance payments.


Probably one of the times in my life where gratitude with an attitude came in handy was when I had just moved to NYC to bolster my writing career and could only find a part-time retail job. I had decided to keep my car at the request of my sister, and it ended up being a huge burden financially and logistically. If you've ever had to park a car in Manhattan, you know how hard it is. I had gotten a $200 parking ticket for parking too close to a fire hydrant, and there was many a night I drove around crying trying to find an open space in which to park. I realized I could no longer make the payments with my part-time salary, and really didn't need a car in NYC with the mass transit system.

So, I parked the car at a friend's apartment complex in New Jersey and called the bank. They suggested trying to sell it which I did. After two months and no interest, I called the bank back, and to my surprise, the bank said they would forgive the remainder on the loan, but needed to repossess the car. I was truly grateful I didn't have to repay $8,000 that I still owed and that they were taking the car off my hands.  When the guy who repossessed the vehicle took my keys, he said “Hey, don’t worry. You’ll have a car again. You’ll just pay a little higher interest rate.”

I landed a writing job two months later and didn’t miss having a car at all. After living in the city for four years, I decided to move to New Jersey where you need a car to get around. I bought a fully-loaded brand new Jeep Liberty off the showroom without a problem.

Life goes on. Don’t sweat the small stuff really has meaning these days when so many people in this country and around the world are suffering severe hardships. Everything besides having a fatal illness or a loved one dying is small stuff. Financial matters can be solved. Broken hearts mend. New jobs will come.

Be grateful for wherever life finds you this Thanksgiving. Make that list of things that you are thankful for and then read each one out loud and truly feel the gratitude from your heart. And tell the people in your life how much you appreciate them for all they do.

Happy Thanksgiving to all you incredible light warriors out there. You truly are making a difference in this world. And I am thankful for you. Blessings to you all!