I was thinking the other day about what this Earth would have looked like before we humans got here.  The Earth that God created was perfectly balanced, unspoiled, virgin beauty. 

Then we arrived.  We human beings who had the power to think, plan, manipulate and dominate.  What happened then?  The Earth has most definitely suffered from the results of our manipulation…her waters and air are polluted, her trees are slashed and burned, and her continents are invaded, blood-soaked and conquered.  There’s no doubt humankind’s greed, ego and fear have taken a huge toll on our planet.

Has humankind ever made the planet better?  Yes, I think at times it has.  When we have worked with nature, from a place of love and respect, the results have been to the Earth’s benefit as well as our own.  When we align with positive, creative energy and use our God-given talents to add beauty to the world, we get breathtaking gardens, majestic architecture, inspirational music, dance and art, and resources like water that flows where people need it.

In the same way, there are two ways we humans use our inherent intelligence and co-creative power in our personal lives.  We can us it to create a life of struggle, lack and unhappiness, or we can use it to create an inspirational life of beauty, joy, abundance and love.  In other words, when we are aligned with the natural power of the Universe…which is always limitless good…we co-create the magnificent.  On the other hand, when we are aligned with our fear, greed and ego demands, we create a life of “quiet desperation” as Thoreau wrote about.

One of the most powerful and effective ways to realign with the creative power and the love within us, and thereby access our ability to create a magnificent life, is by practicing proactive gratitude.

Now on the surface, it would appear we must have something in our lives to be grateful for.  And we humans naturally tend to look for the big stuff like financial security, perfect health, successful careers and successful marriages. If we don’t happen to have any one of these big four, most have a harder time finding things to be grateful for. However, I’m absolutely certain that all of us have dozens of blessings in our lives that we can choose to focus on, rather than on what’s missing.  And that’s the point.  Choosing to shift our focus from what’s missing in our lives to the blessings in our lives…and really celebrating those things…makes all the difference in the world.  Here’s why…

 When we continually focus on our blessings (however small we think they may be) we are actively aligning with our creative power.  We are shifting our energy in the balance of life which, in itself, attracts more blessings into our lives.  But don’t take my word for it. Do the experiment and prove it to yourself.  Practice proactive gratitude for a few weeks and see if things don’t start changing for you. Not only will you feel happier and more at peace, but you will also notice that there are more and more things for which to be grateful.   Once you’ve reached that “tipping point” in the balance of the positive, you’ll notice that the big 4 areas will begin to shift as well.   Again the practice is…

 1.)    Search for things, events and people in your life…on a daily basis…for which to be grateful.  Be specific.  Some days take more searching than others.  But, set your intention to be aware throughout the day that you are looking for something to be grateful for.

2.)    Celebrate those things.  Begin to really feel good about each one. Give a good “woo-hoo;” do a little dance; sing a song, or just allow yourself to feel like…”yeah, my life is indeed blessed!”

 3.)    Document at least 5 things for which you are grateful daily. You can do this either in your own journal, on this blog in the “comments” section, or on the Gratitude Experiment community on Facebook (The Gratitude Experiment on Facebook) Sharing what you are grateful for increases the energy around it, which then draws to you more to be grateful for.  

Now, don’t you wonder what the Earth would look like if enough of us humans practiced proactive gratitude?  Do you think there would be more peace, more love, more beauty, more prosperity, affordable education, affordable and effective health-care, effective solutions to pollution and global warming? What changes do you imagine?  And how many of those who practice gratitude would it take to tip the balance in this direction?