I will never forget being a little girl with a strong dislike for tomato and my mother saying to me 'be grateful that you have food to eat; think of the starving millions". Sound familiar? I, of course, as a child took for granted the attention given to me, the food placed before me, the clothes I wore, the unconditional love my parents always afforded me. It was not until later, through puberty and into adulthood, after being dented by life's hard knocks, did I begin to understand the enormous potential of simply being grateful.
As a young adult, when things didn't go as I had planned, I became resentful. I was supposed to marry my first true love, live a life of luxury and privilege and have 2.3 children. However, the universe had different plans for me. My true love broke my heart. I ended up hating my chosen career path that had taken two and a half years to study. I became bitter, resentful and ultimately depressed for one long, dark year. I managed to pull myself out of depression and continued on to live my life searching and searching for my lost direction and secretly keeping a little seed of resentment for the world in the back of my mind. That's how my life continued for many years, wandering and searching, never really committing to anything or anyone.
One day I was talking on the phone, long distance, to my best friend. We were doing our usual moaning about what we were missing out on if life. So then and there we made a pact. We both wrote a list of goals we wanted to achieve and set a date and instigated a back up plan if we failed. We achieved every single goal on that list within the time frame we had allowed ourselves. This was mind blowing. When we recognised our achievements I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Finally the universe was on my side. Since that breakthrough I have found many different methods of changing and improving my life. I am now very happily married, I run my own business, and I'm living life the way I always imagined I should. Every day I'm grateful that my first true love dumped me or I wouldn't have travelled the path to find my darling husband. Every day I'm grateful that I didn't like my first career choice, even after all that study, or I wouldn't be my own boss today. Even though there are many different methods of personal development that I have used, my favourite, and most serving, is being thankful.
This is life altering stuff and is as simple as saying a few affirmations very day. Retrain your mind to think in the positive rather than the negative. For example...
'I hate my job'........change to.......'I am grateful I can pay my way'.
'I never have enough money'.......to.......'I am grateful for every cent that comes to me'.
'I'm always arguing with my wife/husband......to........'I am grateful for having a loving partner'.
Most of us have heard of affirmations before, but the secret is to add 'gratitude' to the mix and use your imagination to see the affirmation being and feeling true. Now some of these affirmations may not ring true to begin with, but our minds are susceptible to suggestion, especially if repeated over and over again until it becomes ingrained. It becomes true! What we tell ourselves will be. Don't be afraid to tell people of your gratitude. Thank everyone who does the smallest thing for you. Tell your friends how grateful you are for their friendship. Tell your children how grateful you are for having them to enrich your life. This gratitude can change your life forever. It can improve all of your relationships, use it to get that promotion at work, use it on yourself to create self-love and beaming confidence. Watch people and situations soak up your gratitude and give it back to you ten fold.
I challenge you to put Being Grateful to the test. Create a list of five affirmations in the areas of your life you would like to change or improve. Start each affirmation with 'I am grateful.....". Repeat each affirmation five times every morning and night for two weeks. Believe it, see it and feel it. Be grateful for the smallest things. Write in a journal and say to yourself "I am grateful for the bright sunny day", "I am happy and grateful that I am confident in every way" and "I am grateful for my supportive family and friends". Be grateful now and be grateful for what lies ahead.
Let me know your amazing results and share them with others to change and enrich their lives also. Thank you for reading my story, I am grateful for the opportunity to share.
Elizabeth Ballinger Ass.Dip.Arts, Dip.App.Sci
Email: lizzieballinger50@bigpond.com
Website: http://thesecrettosucceed.biz
Website: http://personaldevelopmenthomebusiness.net
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