Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude

A 31-day Experiment

Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude…

Have you ever noticed that when you’re feeling really good, better seems to easily arrive? Get all green lights, get a raise, kids are happy! Or on the flip side, if you’ve been feeling really awful, more bad things seem to occur? Stubbed your toe, late for an appointment, burned the dinner…

Have you ever seen Masaru Emoto’s experiments with water, where he concentrated/sent emotions onto water/snowflake crystals and then photographed them under a microscope? When love, joy, contentment and the like were the focused emotions, the resulting images were quite beautiful, symmetric and pleasing to the eye. When the energies were of anger, hate and displeasure, the images were distorted, disjointed and frankly, didn’t quite look ‘right.’

Now imagine how our thoughts can affect the water in our bodies…if we are constantly berating ourselves, thinking we are not ‘good enough,’ our bodies will react in kind. And the Universe/God* will show us that we are right. It can take a lot of mental willpower to shift these kinds of thoughts, and one of the best ways to start that shifting is with an Attitude of Gratitude.

*(Had I written these thoughts 10 years previous, I probably wouldn’t have included the word God. I’m not particularly religious, do not attend church, and while I was raised within a Christian framework, it wasn’t until a series of events (namely almost dying in 2015) where I began to feel a closer kinship to the word God. And for me it means Creator, the Source of Consciousness, or Source Energy. I’m still leaning into what God is for me, and it’s not something that will be hashed out here, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the inclusion.)

What’s an Attitude of Gratitude?

Well, it’s simply being grateful for the little, or big, or medium things in your life. Are you grateful for: a freshly mopped floor, for a sleeping babes cheekside, a snuggle from your pup, a kiss from your loved one, a good night’s sleep, fresh coffee or tea in the morning, a nice nature walk? The trick is, to really, actually FEEL the gratefulness. It’s not just something you ‘say,’ it’s important to FEEL the feeling. One can be grateful for anything and everything! And when you acknowledge that gratefulness, when you truly feel it, the Universe/God recognizes that energy and wants to give you more of what you are grateful for.

Putting out a positive resonance into the world can help create more goodness into your life.

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Now sometimes it can feel really difficult to achieve this. When my son was in a life-threatening accident in May of 2021, I had to use all of my being to create a healing vibe in order to not get sucked into a ‘worst-case scenario’ feeling. I used the power of my healing hands, I called on the prayers of family & friends, I envisioned all those who reached out, holding hands around my son, circling him as he lay there, unconscious, praying he would arise and be okay. Of course, I was scared. I was in a heightened state of being where eating wasn’t a concern, where the outside world didn’t matter, and where I knew I really had to focus in order to help my boy. So, I was grateful that he was found so soon after the crash, I was grateful for the nurses who answered my questions and tended to him, I was grateful when the intubation tube was removed even though my son was at his most fearful at that time, I was grateful when he swung his legs over the bed and stood for the first time in 4 days, I was grateful when we arrived home and the Lilacs were in full bloom.

Now, I see Lilacs in a much more magical manner than I ever did before.

Alongside an attitude of gratitude runs manifestation. When we focus on the good in our lives, it’s oftentimes magnified, which can be viewed as manifesting. The writings of Neville Goddard have been intriguing me the last couple of years and I do believe that we humans really do have the power and capability to create our lives in the manner in which we desire. There’s so much to this topic, and I’ll only briefly touch upon it, but by watching our language, exploring our deeply held beliefs, and truly shifting those beliefs that hold us back or down, we can change our reality, and consequently, shift the energy within our home.

So, for the month of January, I encourage you to keep a 31-day Attitude of Gratitude journal. And for the 31 days of January, write down 3 or more things you are grateful for, do it in the morning or in the evening or whenever you can, just do it. I’m going to practice this publicly, by writing a Note (here on Substack) every day about what I’m grateful for, using a photo I’ve taken from that day (past or present).

Really feel into the gratitude. That’s a big one, actually FEELING gratitude. The water experiments mentioned above won’t work unless there is a true feeling behind it, that’s why sometimes it’s hard to replicate those kinds of experiments!

I decided to continue this 31-day Attitude of Gratitude experiment here, because January can be a challenging month. The joyousness and light filled holiday months are over, perhaps it’s cold, grey and dreary where you are, so this is an excellent way to help shift those deep Winter thoughts into a more contemplative, positive experience. And truthfully, I’m in need of some positivity. Hurting myself last week (tore a calf muscle) has been challenging my ability to be grateful and light-hearted.

Another way to shift your thoughts if it’s hard to do with simply your mind, is to MOVE your body—ugh, yes, I will have to do some arm exercises I suppose. There’s really two ways to shift your mentality: one is to truly shift your thoughts, the other is to move your body in order to shift your physiology which then changes your thoughts. Movement is medicine too. Moving your body, whether it’s walking outside, running on a treadmill, practicing yoga in your living room or going out dancing, has proved again and again, to help brighten the spirits.

Now I get it, I’ve been there…down in the depths where things just don’t look good no matter which way you turn. And that dark energy can be really hard to rise up from. But we can do it, and it’s really just a matter of changing your perspective, being grateful for what you have, right now, and moving your body consistently in a manner that feels good for YOU, whatever that may be.

In October of 2023, I made the decision to keep a 31-day Gratitude journal. I noticed two primary experiences: 1) I began to share the mundane (of or relating to the world; concerned with the practical details of everyday life) which, if you’ve ever reread older journal entries, tends to be far more interesting later on than the waxing poetic prose of grand origin. And 2) Time seemed to slow down some when I took the time to write every evening before bed. I was fairly consistent in 2024, I have decided to continue this practice as I very much believe it’s beneficial.

2024 goals/vision board

Years ago, I was at a friend’s home and she showed me her vision boards from the past few years. They were quite different from one another, one was focused on $$$, another on cooking and homemaking, the other on fitness and the outdoors. What really struck me, was that she had truly accomplished that which she had focused her attention and energy on via those yearly vision boards! This was before I’d read much about manifesting and gratitude, and it was really interesting to me as I’d not ever done such a vision board and my Goals for the year were often the same: lose some weight, get fit, be happy…year after year…but I now realize that my energy quickly became unfocused, often because I chose to bite off more than I could chew at a time when Winter’s calling was more inward and slow.

The first winter we spent in our Idaho home, my daughter and I created our first vision boards. And I ended up really loving the one I created, so much I hung it near my bedside. (Being able to SEE your vision board increases the probability the goals within come to pass.) Now, three years later, I see that I really did manifest many of the ideas/feelings/things that were listed there. But not necessarily in the way I would have anticipated.

Here’s 2024’s vision board that I made with Haven Making in mind. (I am superstitious and don’t share publicly the vision board I make for the current year!)

Our brains can be very insistent on how things should go, on how we should be able to get the things we want, but Universe/God often has a different manner of how you will proceed or end up, and we must be in trust with the timing, because when we try and force something, we often come across resistance and challenges we otherwise would not incur. This has been a work-in-progress for myself, but I’ve experienced it enough to know it to be true.

So, what do you want to envision for 2024?

Write it down. Draw it out. Cut out pictures from magazines and create that vision board for yourself. What do you want to focus on? What in your life do you seek to shift? Choose life, choose vibrancy, choose what makes you happy and place those images that make you feel that upon the vision board! I used a nice piece of cardboard for the backing, you could use poster board too. Libraries often have past magazines for free, ask at the desk if you don’t see a free box. Or go and purchase a handful or ask your friends/family if they have some lying around once they’re done reading. Where I used to live, there was a day in December/January where you could go and get together with other folks and create a vision board. Maybe that would feel nice to do for you ~ get a group of ladies together, or you and your spouse, you and your kids, and create a collage of what you would like to see for the year 2024. Personally, I’m more introverted with it, but you do you!

And if you’re not into the visual goal setting, simply write them down. They can be lofty goals, they can be personal or family related, they can be simple to-do’s that don’t seem to get done: do you want to go on a vacation, invest $, start a garden, craft your own apothecary goods, spend more quality time with your family, do yoga 3x/week, mediate, keep a tidy home, grow a business ~ allow your mind to explore what you truly wish and desire, and write that down!

The act of writing, drawing, of focusing your attention on WHAT YOU WANT is key to actually receiving it! I’ll make a gentle reminder (to myself included), that focusing on what you Don’t want is a sure way to manifest that in your life. What we focus our energy on is what the Universe/God helps to make true. This doesn’t mean no one will ever die, that we will never be sad, or that life is always going to be smelling of Roses, but we can help ourselves create the life we want by focusing on what we truly and wholeheartedly desire!

I mention this inner work because, well…JANUARY….this month can really take us inward, and if our inward notions have taken a nosedive because we feel overwhelm, sadness, or exhaustion, then that effects our ability to create sanctuary. To make our home a haven. I hope this has landed well for you and as the year goes along, you can revisit the ideas and thoughts posed above to continually aid you in your journey. Usually I like to craft the vision board during the week between Christmas and New Years, that liminal time-frame is perfect for planting seeds of intention. But anytime in the first few weeks of the new year is a wonderful opportunity to take some time and envision these next 12 months.