Gratitude: the ICE that Fills Your Half Empty Glass!

Are you completely happy in your life right now? Honestly? Have you achieved all the success that you know is rightfully yours?

If not, then perhaps you're missing this VITAL piece of the puzzle- GRATITUDE.

A deep and profound feeling of gratitude must be an ESSENTIAL component of who you are, if you wish to live a life of permanent Happiness and success.

I totally agree with Cicero when he said, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others."

The fact is, without complete unconditional gratitude, there is no true happiness. And without an underlying foundation of Happiness, you cannot have success.

On the other hand, a person living in complete gratitude cannot fail to be happy and successful.

For the short answer as to why this works, consider one of the Universal Laws governing our lives which says that what you focus your mind on, is what you get. Focus on negativity and you will experience more negativity. Focus on the positive, and you will experience more of the positive.

The power of gratitude is that it focuses your attention on the positive aspects of your life. There is no room for fear in any of its forms, when your mind is filled with a deep and profound sense of gratitude. By focusing on the good and positive aspects of your life, and expressing gratitude, you will get even more of these positive experiences.

And even more powerful than that - look to your current and past challenges and failures - and find a positive there. Give thanks for it. And you will find that you've taken a massive step in growing & learning from the experience, and overcoming similar challenges in future.

Can't find a positive in your failures? You're just not trying hard enough. Consider this quote by Confucius:

"I was complaining that I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet."

There is always a positive. Find it, and express a deep and unconditional gratitude. Your future success and Happiness depend on it.

Try not to limit yourself in who you express gratitude to.It doesn't have to always be a person. You can also express gratitude to an object (just for being), an experience, a feeling, a sound, a colour, a view. You can thank a group of people, a whole nation, the whole of humanity, nature, the universe, God, the Universal Spirit, or collective consciousness, or whichever other power you can relate to.

So what's the most effective way to express gratitude?

Let's look at 2 simple methods.

(1) Repeat after me: "Thank You!"

Awesome! I think you've got it. :)

You can make the expression as detailed and specific as you wish, but there is something beautiful about a simple "Thank You" when expressed with a deep and genuine love & appreciation.

Try it now. Think of the person you most love in the world. Perhaps your partner, your parents, or a friend? If you can't think of anyone, then picture the type of person you'd love to fall in love with. Focus on their image with complete acceptance and love, and thank them!

"Thank you for just being you."

"Thank you for the joy you bring to my life."

Whatever you wish to thank them for, express it with genuine love & gratitude.

There's NO WAY you can feel bad while expressing true gratitude.

Try it again. If you're reading this article, then express gratitude for the power of sight. If it's being read to you, then give thanks for the miracle of sound.

It takes a bit of practice, but if you do this regularly, your quality of life will improve dramatically.