Do you ever struggle with feeling or being grateful?

Does it ever seem as though everyone else have everything to be happy for but you don’t? If that’s the case, it’s only a matter of where you’re looking…

In fact I am willing to bet good money that right this moment. Where ever you may be in your life this, there’s AT LEAST! and I mean AT LEAST 50 things you can be grateful for, if you want to. In fact I’m going to prove it with a list further down. (Oh, don’t believe me? Already scrolling for the list? Go ahead – I’ll wait here)

Did you read it?

Ok so now you know that all being grateful requires is your willingness. Your willingness to look for the things within your life that you can be grateful for. Notice I say “can be”.

Because you don’t have to. It’s a choice. Your choice. Do you want happiness or not? That is the question.

You may have looked at the list and dismissed it with a “hmpff, anyone can be grateful for those things, because they aren’t really things” – and you’re absolutely right. Anyone can be. But are YOU? Grateful? Happy? Delighted?

It is with gratitude as it is with

being happy and delighted.

It is a choice.

One you make.

Furthermore it is a muscle.
The more you work it, the stronger it becomes.
You may be out of shape.
Winded just thinking of it.
Worried if you can.

But you can.
By putting one step in front of the other you can.

Because gratitude is an expression of love and love is what you are.
It is where you came from, it is what you never left and never will leave.

You are love.

Not only is gratitude a muscle it is also like throwing a pebble into water. It ripples throughout your entire being. When it hits the shore another ripple is created and those ripples will ripple back over the initial impact point. Creating thus an eternal wave of gratitude, happiness and joy.

In this metaphor you are the pebble. When you’re grateful happiness ensues and as you send that out, it hits the shore aka people in your life and they in turn send it back thus raising the vibration of all.
If you want the list of 50 things to hang on your fridge or bathroom mirror to remind you, enter your name and email below and I’ll send a pretty printable version to your inbox.

If you’d like to implement a practice of gratitude but struggle finding things to be grateful for or simply would like to be inspired I encourage you to purchase my new 30 days of Gratitude e-course.  You’ll find it here.

Each day for 30 days I’ll send you an email with a topic/inspiration for things you can be grateful for. If you worry that I’ll send you a topic in which you cannot find anything to be grateful for don’t. These are simple things that each and every one have had or have in our lives and trust me there’s plenty for you to be grateful for. But you have to be willing. That’s what it requires.

And there are moments when you don’t. There are moments when you’d rather kick and scream. Blame the whole world and be upset and angry. I know, because I have those moments too. They are fewer and farther between, but they still appear. Suppressing them won’t help. Gratitude will.

In A Course in Miracles Yeshua says:

“I do not need gratitude, but you need to develop your weakened ability to be grateful, or you cannot appreciate God. She does not need your appreciation, but you do. You cannot love what you do not appreciate, for fear makes appreciation impossible.”

50 things you can be grateful for this very moment

If you ever struggle being grateful here are 50 things you can be grateful for this very moment. There’s nothing more you need to do, be or have. You are whole.

1. Your heart beating, pumping blood to every cell of your body.
2. Your lungs for sending oxygen to every cell of of your body and for expelling carbon dioxide.
3. Your curiosity.
4. Your desire to learn.
5. Your brain for it’s ability to contain and digest enormous amount of information
6. Your magnificence.
7. Your light.
8. The air you’re breathing in and out as you move about your day.
9. If you’re reading this it means you’ve got some kind of internet connection to be grateful for, most likely wi-fi.
10. You’re also reading this on some kind of device. Be it a smartphone, computer, iPad or other.
11. For being waking up this morning, being alive.
12. Spirit having brought you to this article.
13. The clothes you’re wearing.
14. The physical space you’re in right now.
15. Your eyes for seeing.
16. Your ears for hearing.
17. Your teachers and school for having taught you to read.
18. Your parents for having brought you into this world.
19. The food you’ve eaten.
20. The drinks you’ve drunk today.
21. The beautiful vessel aka the body you’re in currently.
22. The sun rising and setting.
23. The stillness you carry within you everywhere.
24. The trees and plants for producing oxygen for you to breathe.
25. The softness of your skin.
26. The laughter of babies.
27. Your ability to evolve.
28. Your freedom to move.
29. Nature in all its amazing glory.
30. The moon and stars for lighting up the sky.
31. The smell of lemon.
32. Ice cream.
33. The feeling of moss underneath your feet.
34. Butterflies fluttering their wings.
35. Birds for soaring high in the sky.
36. This very moment in your life.
37. Gods grace.
38. Your sense of smell and taste.
39. This list opening your heart and your mind.
40. Your ability to choose your mood no matter your external circumstances.
41. Your sense of right and wrong.
42. The millions and millions of processes happening in your body without your knowledge, control and consciousness.
43. Your ability to connect with Source anywhere, anytime.
44. Quiet moments of contemplation.
45. Being held in the kindest, sweetest, most loving embrace by angels.
46. All of the things you currently have.
47. All of the things you currently don’t have.
48. A friend or friends.
49. The ability to create precisely the life you have and want.
50. The ability to change from within.

There’s always, always, always something to be grateful for and now it’s your turn. I invite you, in fact I challenge you to make your own list. If it seems like a stretch thats ok. Stretch your brain and imagination. Make this list your own. Find 50 things you can be grateful for this very moment and share the first thing that comes into your mind in the comments below.

xo, Mariaestela