- Tiffany Marlink
Gratitude: From Skeptic to Believer
I used to be a huge skeptic of gratitude practices. I thought it was a bunch of non-sense that couldn’t possibly be worth the time or the effort. I have to admit that I was also pretty judgmental of the people who talked about the benefits of a gratitude practice. There was a part of me that needed to discount their happiness because it seemed so unrealistic and unattainable. It’s funny to me now to realize how deeply my conditioned mind wanted to keep me in the dark. It had become so trained to believe in the fear and scarcity that there was no way it could allow itself to risk death of the familiar by leaning into the possibility of the magical unknown.
After reading Super Attractor by Gabby Bernstein, I decided to give pages of gratitude a space in my daily practice. Pages of gratitude are exactly what they sound like, literally pages full of “I am grateful for __________ because __________.” I have been writing pages of gratitude for a few months and I’m truly amazed by what I have experienced. I have noticed a huge shift in the things I notice in the world and I truly believe that the miracles I am experiencing are a result of this work. I feel lighter and am noticing much more of the goodness in this world. It’s also easier to notice the fear and scarcity that surrounds me so that I can consciously chose not to feed into it.
The Universe has been bringing me podcasts, books and conversations that are encouraging me to lean even more into my gratitude practice, so I decided to ask my Guides a couple questions about it. Here are the questions I asked and their responses in italics.
Why is gratitude so important right now?
Because it shifts your awareness from what is to what could be. It opens your heart to take in more of the world around it including the light that increases your vibration and heals the cells of your physical body. Many of you have tapped into gratitude but are still experiencing it at its most basic level. There is a level of gratitude beyond this level that can only come into your awareness with practice.
How do we know when we have reached that level of gratitude?
The world will begin reacting to you in a different way than it does now (or so it will seem from your point of view). The world itself will not actually be changing. It will be you that has changed and can see the world around you for what it truly is (instead of what you have been conditioned to believe).
This next level gratitude totally captured my attention. My mind, being its stereotypical self, wanted to know what I needed to do next to up level my practice. A few days later, I was introduced to the book Thank & Grow Rich by Pam Grout. The title is a play of Napoleon Hill’s book, but the contents are not specifically about creating material wealth. Pam writes about the power of gratitude and shares a series of metaphysical games to play that create greater joy and abundance. She also shares a number of stories about the results people have experienced by playing the 30 days of “party games” with the Universe. Her book was the answer to my question. Gratitude is a game changer!
So here I am before you. A skeptic turned believer with countless stories proving the power of gratitude to change your life. I truly believe that gratitude is the key that unlocks your potential for miracles and limitless possibility. It is the grace that allows you to surrender to the flow of the Universe. In these days where all seems a little uncertain, I am inviting you to join me in experimenting with a gratitude practice. Perhaps you start by naming three things you are grateful for when you wake up or before you go to bed. Or maybe you give the pages of gratitude a try. Another option could be working with mala beads and naming a blessing or gratitude for each of the 108 beads.
Members of my free subscription, Live Your Truth, also receive inspirational quotes, affirmations and journal prompts for integration. Click here to join and receive your bonus content.