3 Questions To Deepen Your Gratitude Practice & Manifest More Quickly
In honour of Thanksgiving season here in Canada/U.S., A Guide to Going Beyond Making a List of Things You’re Grateful For
Introduction ~ Gratitude Practice 101
Ever since the inimitable Oprah Winfrey shared her gratitude journal practice to the world, it has become one of the quintessential practices for those who are on the path of mindful living.
Whether you spend a few moments in the wee hours of the morning or just before bed, having a gratitude practice is a quick and easy way to:
o Review or prepare for the day
o Boost your mood
o Become more regulated and resilient emotionally
o Improve overall heath and sleep
o Reduce stress
o Raises your vibration
o Manifest more good things for you to be grateful for
The last benefit—manifesting more good things and in less time—is one of my favourite positive “side effects” of a gratitude practice.
Gratitude and manifestation work the same way for psycho-emotional health as exercise and energy in physical health—one begets the other. The more you practice gratitude, specifically in this deeper and intentional way, the more you welcome the manifestation of your desires, then the more grateful feelings you generate!
While there can be endless ways to practice gratitude as there are blessings in our lives, two of the most common ways are:
1) Writing in a gratitude journal
2) Engaging in a guided meditation
There was a time that I kept a gratitude journal and wrote in it almost daily. But over the years, I found my practice became dry and mechanical, merely listing the things I was grateful for.
What if we could go deeper than making a list of things we are grateful for?
Believe it or not, after some time I got bored with the gratitude journal practice, as beautifully simple as it was some days, other days I just didn’t “feel” it to be as potent as it could be.
I discovered a way that I could go deeper and infuse more emotion, desire and inspiration into my gratitude practice. I invite you to try it and watch your blessings multiply even more!
Gratitude is one of the most high-vibration and powerful emotions. Wouldn’t you rather feel joyous and grateful that your life is blessed, rather than annoyed and irritated that life doesn’t go the way you want or expected?
The key to having more of what you desire (and therefore feeling even more grateful than you do now) is getting into the emotion of gratitude. As in really getting into it!
Go deeper as to what about it makes you feel grateful/blessed. Amplify the feeling of that reason or sentiment. Maybe it reminds you of a cherished value or something else that you hold dear in life. Then, stretch your receiving muscles by asking yourself how it could get better than what you have now. Then focus on the “being” qualities to have more of what you desire.
The 3 Questions to Deepen Your Gratitude Practice
I will break this down step-by-step, using an example of how I deepened and used my gratitude practice to manifest my next vehicle upgrade (to a luxury SUV).
The basic gratitude statement
“I am so happy and grateful that… ____ [whatever it is you’re grateful of having] ”
For example,
“I have a great, reliable, classy commuter car.”
[I’m grateful for what I already have]
Go deeper with the following questions:
1) Why am I so happy and grateful for this blessing in my life? What about it makes me feel so grateful? [Go deeper to the reasons why your value and cherish it; after the first answer, ask again, then repeat 3x for each consecutive answer]
2) How can it get better than this? [Tap into your desires, whatever they may be, give yourself full permission to admit what it is you want]
3) Who am I / being when I have ___ [insert desire]?
Below I apply these 3 questions to my personal example of upgrading my already great commuter car to a luxury SUV.
I answer Question # 1 :Why / What about?
“Because it allows me to travel and go/see/do what I need to do.”
“Because it’s important that I have my own wheels to get to places.”
“Because freedom & autonomy is important to me.”
[I got to the core of my gratitude emotion, which is that I value freedom and autonomy, and having a car gives me that and allows me to live a certain way. I re-write my gratitude statement to reflect this deeper appreciation:]
“I am so happy and grateful that I have an awesome car that gives me freedom to go/see/do, go to work, meet people, run errands, and explore my environment in style.”
Next, I answer Question # 2 : How can it get better than this?
“I am even more happy and grateful that I have an upgraded SUV that is a hybrid (fuel efficient), that is roomier than what I have now, and that is suitable for my needs in the near future (starting a family) and that makes me feel like I’ve “upgraded” and ready for the next level in life, all within my budget (what I’m willing to pay for the upgrade)!
[Here I’ve outlined exactly what I desire that would be even better than what I have now.]
Finally, I answer Question # 3 : Who am I being when I have ____?
“In this case, when I have my upgraded luxury hybrid SUV, I am someone who is a classy, accomplished businesswoman, a loving and adventurous mom who travels with and enjoys time with her children, an eco-conscious nature enthusiast on the weekends, as well as a community leader who cares and always has room for those who need a ride (increasing capacity for helping others).”
[Here I affirm this person I am becoming]
With this step, it’s important that you affirm the person you are becoming (or that you see yourself becoming) and you will bring more things, relationships and experiences to be grateful for when you are being that person.
You can use this for something you have received already or something you would like to bring in (manifest) into your life. I used this practice to manifest my next vehicle upgrade within a week. I was over the moon!
Final Tips
Having a gratitude practice is a powerful tool for mental health, physical well-being, manifestation and wealth creation. You can use these steps as you listen and work with a guided gratitude meditation. Best time to do this is before you go to bed or when you rise, as the brain is still in the theta phase which is primed for manifestation.
A daily practice is the usual recommendation but better if you can create a realistic practice that works with your rhythms and lifestyle. Even a once weekly practice, setting aside intentional time on a Sunday morning for example, when you can truly create space, can work wonders.
How You Can Apply This Practice to Your Business or Workplace
This year, I devoted the whole month of October (the month during which Thanksgiving Holiday is observed in Canada, where I live) expressing gratitude and appreciation to my circle of connections, business or personal.
I set aside about 30 minutes during my lunch hour and another 30 minutes after dinner three times a week to do so, writing brief emails and messages—and sometimes phone calls—of appreciation. I’ve been receiving such heartwarming notes of mutual gratitude and appreciation in return!
I encourage you to do this with me. The Thanksgiving Holiday for the U.S. is in November so this can be an extension of the Canadian one.
Take the next two weeks to express gratitude and appreciation to the people in your life and business community, especially those you most take for granted. And do share in the comments. I’d love to hear how it goes for you!
And finally, I am so grateful to you, dear reader and community member, for blessing my life with your presence. I truly appreciate being in community with you.
Much love and many blessings,
Rosalyn C. RainDancer
© 2020 Rosalyn C. RainDancer
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Excellent explanation of the depth that’s available to us in gratitude. Thank you for sharing on how to go further to the next step. Love it!
So glad you found it helpful, Niki! I'd love to hear how it works out for you.