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'The Power of Thank You... Mastering the Art of Gratitude'*  

A Sure Path to Happiness

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Expressing feelings of despair and dissatisfaction are useful for one's personal growth as long as it is part of a constructive process. There is limited value in beating the drum of 'how bad everything is' and 'how if it were not for this or that our lives would be so much better'. All we really achieve from this kind of activity is pollution and stagnation, which prevents growth. This way of being also means we do not see solutions because we spend too much time living in the problem, which magnifies the problem and extends its influence, which disempowers us in the process.

Expressing what it is we are unhappy with is valuable in order that we can see what needs to be done, but if all we do is complain we create a self-limiting prison for ourselves. It is within this prison that negative beliefs are born. A common sub-conscious belief that limits so many of us is that life seems to punish us and reward others, and there is very little we can do about it. This creates a victim consciousness which can be described as 'poor me' but this consciousness is only really useful if it motivates change. If on the other hand we make this mind-set our home, never daring to venture beyond its walls then we slowly die under its influence.

The power of thank you is limitless, the more we find things to be thankful about, great and particularly small then the more growth and well-being floods into our lives. The 'poor me' consciousness simply creates a culture of pessimism and negativity, a culture that overshadows our positive state of being. Whereas the vast vocabulary and the colourful language of thank you creates positivity and a real appreciation of things that are so easily overlooked. Thank you helps us to savour life and find beauty and truth, it helps us discover our true nature, abilities and talents. Thank you stokes the fire of creativity and introduces us to higher levels of awareness and consciousness. The thank you process motivates us to act because the appreciation that it produces gives us real power. It is a power that inspires, a power that rejoices more and complains less, a power that realises our lives are dictated most of all by what thoughts we generate in our minds.

The power of thank you is not an attack on the self pitying consciousness because self pity does have a place in our lives. The power of thank you is about understanding one way to move out of self pity and victim-hood. It is about realising that whatever the state of our lives we do have the power and ability to influence things positively. We do not have to wait for chance, or some miracle to bring change to our circumstances, we can create our own miracles by being more thankful.

Starting from today create some thank you statements. Take a close look at your life and find at least half a dozen things you take for granted, or overlook and never really consider the value and importance of. Then make these thank you statements into affirmations that you can recite throughout the day, particularly before you go to sleep at night and before you get out of bed in the morning. By reciting these thank you's at least twice a day there will be meaningful growth that starts appearing in your life and that growth will eventually bear good fruit. The power of thank you is particularly valuable in the face of life's challenges and if we can find something to be grateful for, something that can be celebrated, we can and do move forward more quickly taking necessary lessons and truth with us. Remember practice, patience and perseverance guarantee success. So try saying thank you more and watch a different perspective, attitude and set of values and beliefs begin to unfold which will serve to free you from your self limiting prison. It is time to free yourself with the power of thank you.

POWER OF THANK YOU 2

Try out this thought for size; ‘My life is perfect. I have everything that I need and I am truly grateful’. Spend a day reciting this thought in your mind over and over again. If it helps, write it down again and again. Just try for twenty-four hours to truly embrace this thought and see what happens. If there’s even the slightest improvement in your day or how you feel, make a deal with yourself to do it for another day. And why not keep doing this whilst it continues to work for you?

Photo: bing.com

Those of you who are familiar with the Reach Approach will understand that we passionately believe wellbeing is a healthy marriage between mind, body, spirit and environment. It’s a beautiful dance between all four, where each performs its role gracefully and harmoniously. It’s a wonderful contract of interdependence where each aspect performs its function with respect for itself and the whole organism. In other words, health is a state of non- rivalry. So therefore, anything we do that spoils the dance, corrupts the contract or contaminates the relationship, denies us health and wellbeing. Complaining does just that. The more we complain, the more we have to complain about. The more we give thanks, the more we will have to be grateful for. This is so simple and in many ways obvious and yet its depth and power is still not fully understood.

Complaining has many forms. It is not simply the act of ‘wittering on’ or grumbling to yourself and others. That’s the obvious expression of complaint. To complain means being frustrated with your life, being dissatisfied with your relationships, doubting yourself, your talents and abilities. It’s a life of comparing and competing, striving to mask your deficiencies and shortcomings; a life of overcompensating in order to be liked and to fit in. It’s a turbulent river of dissatisfaction that runs through the landscape of your life. It eats away at you, telling you you’re not good enough, what you have is not good enough and propels you to pursue things you don’t need to make you feel better about yourself and your reality. Can you relate to this? Are you complaining and haven’t even realised? Our research and clinical experience clearly shows that the majority of people are complaining in some form. They simply aren’t aware of it. Why not take a closer look at your life and note how much you pretend, defend, justify and deny (these are just some  of the offspring of complaining)........ Why not do that now?

Take up our challenge. Develop the habit of ‘thank you’. An attitude of gratitude will completely change your perception and perspective. Just as a culture of complaint has bent you out of shape (distorted your true nature), the practice of ‘thank you’ will not only restore your beauty, it will attract everything you need into your life. Complaining takes you further away from yourself and the truth, whilst ‘thank you’ brings you into a loving embrace with your purpose and potential. In other words, you stop living as a passenger in your own life, wondering which way the vehicle will take you next. Instead you move into the driver’s seat with a confidence in what you need to do and where you need to go. It’s so satisfying. Try this thought; ‘My life is perfect, I have exactly what I need and for that I am truly grateful’. Even though your life may not be perfect and may not be exactly as you wish it to be right now, by daring to think in this way, both your psychology and biology are positively affected. You are what you think you are. Your perceptions and your beliefs do shape your reality. Find things to be grateful for every day and things to be grateful for will come and find you! The laws of cause and effect relate to everything in our

world so try sending out the right signals and watch the inevitable return of your preferred outcomes (your dreams). This one act will save your life if you let it. Practice the power of thank you faithfully. It has untold depths and it never disappoints.

THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF.....

The more you complain the more you will have to complain about. The more you give thanks the more you will have to be grateful for. The more that you walk a path of appreciation and gratitude, the richer your life will be. This is real wealth, the wealth of peace and contentment, a life that lacks nothing. So our invitation to you is to play the game of saying thank you for the gift of.... The more of these you can generate for yourself, the better. Below are some that we believe are universally applicable.

Thank you for the gift of my enemies and for the opportunities to develop forgiveness and kindness.

Thank you for the gift of this moment, as it allows me to fully blossom into ‘me’.

Thank you for the gift of my friendships and for the love and the support that they bring.

Thank you for the gift of my challenges, for the insight, growth and wisdom that they offer. Thank you for the gift of each day and the opportunity for greater peace, joy and happiness.

Thank you for the gift of my body and the countless wonders it performs each day.

Thank you for the gift of a life in which I can serve and benefit others with no desire for myself.

Thank you for the gift of sleep and for the renovation and repair that takes place each night.

Thank you for the gift of tomorrow which, when I allow, always adds value and meaning to my life.

Thank you for the gift of silent reflection that offers the unravelling of the mind’s many mysteries.

Thank you for the gift of the inner wisdom that lives deep within my heart.

Thank you for the gift of nature in all her wonderful guises and magnificent forms, she’s amazing!

Thank you for the gift of my life and the opportunity that each day brings for positive change.

Thank you for the gift of my family, who offer me the chance to develop patience and unconditional love.

A life of thank you is a rich and full life. It’s kind to you and those around you. It’s full of smiles and laughter where a gentle river of insight flows continuously through the mind, touching every cell and sinew. A life of gratitude soothes hurts and pain, evaporates anger and reframes your perspective. Why drown in the ‘cesspit of complaint’. Has it ever served you well? Try immersing your mind in the ‘gift of thank you’. It’s power is truly breathtaking. It will undoubtedly redefine your life. If you do anything today, say THANK YOU with all your heart.

*See the originalarticle which was first published in The Reach Approach: The Power of Thank You... Mastering the Art of Gratitude

...And now for more reflection on what was noted above, visit 'My Wisdom Corner', a few examples of the many gems I have discovered in my life journey from the wisdom of others. They have opened new horizons in my life. For that I cannot be grateful enough: 'My Wisdom Corner'

"Passing of Knowledge" by Victor Tan Wee Tar

What is this life all about?

Why am I here? What’s my Life’s purpose? How can I make the most of my Life?

The Wisdom Corner