The Way to Get More is to Be Thankful for What You've Got"

Every morning when I wake up, I say, "Thank You." I say thank you to the Creator that I have been given another day to love, to nurture my son and to take action into becoming the person that I want to be. Being thankful for what you already have is the easiest thing that you can do to let the Universe know that you are ready to receive even more love and opportunities. When I coach working mothers, I tell them, "You can't create a less stressful, more fulfilling, more financially abundant life until you begin to be truly grateful for your current life."

Oprah Winfrey says, "I started out giving thanks for small things and the more thankful I became, the more my bounty increased. That's because what you focus on expands, and when you focus on the good in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life."

Think of yourself as a giant magnet. Whatever you are feeling, whether it's love, fear, anger, happiness, anger, joy, gratitude, resistance etc., you are creating a magnetic force that draws you to people, events, conditions and circumstances which directly represent what your emotions. If you hate your old car, don't be surprised if it's constantly breaking down. If you fear poverty, you probably find it difficult to either make money or to hold onto it for long. However if you express gratitude for what any situation projects: a life lesson, an opportunity, love, friendship, honesty, your home, your family, the ability to pay your bills, your health, etc. a magnetic force draws to you more of what you are expressing gratitude for.

Master teacher and author Iyanla Vanzant says whatever is going on in your life say, "Thank you." Even if you are in the middle of a "crisis", saying "Thank you" does two things: First it alerts you to the fact that you are intended to learn something about YOURSELF through the situation that you are going through. For example, you may find that you owe $1,000 more on your income tax than you thought, or you may lose your job to downsizing. You might ask, "How do you wrap gratitude around that?" Here's your answer, the second point. Saying "Thank you" affirms that you have the faith to not just survive the situation that you're in, but also the wisdom to use the lesson to catapult your life forward.

Gratitude doesn't mean that you jump for joy at whatever occurs in your life. Instead, it means that you acknowledge, bear witness to, and see whatever is put before you. You are willing to let it be there, doing nothing to postpone whatever lesson or opportunity comes from fortune and misfortune. For example: The extra $1,000 you owe the IRS could be a lesson about taking better care of your financial affairs. The job loss may force you to stop making excuses about why you can't pursue the "dream" business that you've been talking about for years.

I heard about one couple who opened an expensive bottle of wine after learning that the husband had lost his high-paying job. They toasted each other and gave thanks for their lives. I wasn't surprised to learn that several weeks later a former business associate offered the husband a new job. When I am feeling less than joyful, I look around and find things that make me happy: pictures of my son, a hot cup of green tea, beautiful music, time to reflect, financial abundance, healthy family, wonderful friends, etc. After 10 minutes of doing this I usually feel better. Some people keep a Gratitude Journal to record the thing that they are thankful for on a daily basis. There is no right way to be grateful. Just find a way that works for you.

This week think about how you can show gratitude. Create a ritual or practice that you can do everyday that allows you to say "thank you" for all of the good in your life. Don't make it a rote exercise, but one that is heartfelt. Once you start focusing your attention on the beauty and abundance that your life already possesses, you'll be ready to open you mind and heart to even more love, joy and prosperity.