Positive Psychology Gratitude Exercises. If you can be grateful for something you hate in your life, your life suddenly changes.
Introduction to The Gratitude Game – Positive Psychology Gratitude Exercises
This is a very simple exercise born out of an illness I was nursing at the time. I had a lumbar spine injury and was in pain.
Rather than focus on the pain and ruin a day at the beach with my sister, I decided to play what I like to call “The Gratitude Game” with her.
I started to make simple statements to her about conditions for which I was grateful. I started with, “I am so grateful I have you for a sister.”
Then I went on to describe how I was grateful for the beautiful beach in front of us, the aqua colored sub tropical waters before us, the food I was eating for lunch and so on.
I started to feel better. I asked my sister to play this game with me.
My sister copied some of the things I said. Then she went off on her own.
She said, “I am grateful for the large apartment I have but,” her voice started to whine a bit, “I wish it was on the first floor of the building so I do not have to walk up three flights of stairs or take an elevator.”
She continued with another gratitude statement followed by another whiny “except” statement.
“I am grateful for my new car except I wish it was not so expensive. It drained my finances.”
Then she went on to say she was grateful for the Free Shuttle Bus we used to get to the beach, but wished it would run more often and conveniently so we would not have to wait for it.
Negativity Begets More Negativity – Positive Psychology Gratitude Exercises
I sat there feeling more and more tense. The “happy” feeling I had created earlier doing this exercise was rapidly vaporizing.
I said nothing. I think she was thinking what I was thinking because then she said something different.
“I am grateful that I am sitting at the ocean right now with you enjoying the wind, sand and water completely.”
Ahhhhhhh. The tension broke. Finally a true gratitude statement.
As she continued in more of this positive vein her words faded away from me. I was “learning.”
Find the Perfect In the Imperfect – Positive Psychology Gratitude Exercises
There is something so powerful about being grateful even though the condition is not perfect. Metaphysically this attitude raises your vibration where creation of new conditions in your life takes less effort.
For example, if you live in an apartment that is large, comfortable, with a view from the third floor over a park, yet you wish you were on the ground floor for convenience, it would be extremely powerful to simply say, “I am grateful for this large, beautiful apartment with a view of the park.”
As soon as you add a BUT you have negated the positive effect that gratitude can bring. You have lowered your creation power.
When you find the good in things, they morph into magic, without you having to change anything. We are then able to change the condition we do not like by staying in the higher vibration of flow.
The magic of life is created from our vision of it, not from our correction of it. Positive Psychology Gratitude Exercises
This reminds me of The Spiritual Law of Visualization spoken by the famed Unity Minister of the past, Eric Butterworth.
“As you diligently work to think the positive thought, speak the constructive word, and hold the creative success—images in mind, your whole life will begin to vibrate with the dynamic power of prosperity.” Check more of his wisdom HERE.
When you find the good in things the good in things “finds” you!
When you play The Gratitude Game be aware of your statements of gratitude. See the good in every situation in your life, no matter how negative!
How to Play The Gratitude Game
Make a list of all the things you can think of in your life that are negative to you. Identify the biggest problem for you right now.
Find a positive statement about it. If you cannot think of this right away find a negative condition in your life for which you can. You can practice with this one.
For example, you moved into a tiny apartment in a lower class neighborhood that is not your dream home, however, you did it to save money for now.
The Gratitude Game says “I am so happy and grateful that I am living in a home that saves me money so I can live more affluently. “
The conditions you want to shift are then released. Your vibration rises. Following this you are able to create new conditions in your life.
If you stay on the negative side, you are tied to the negative condition forever. This is the Spiritual Law of Resistance. What you resist persists.
Gratitude for My Back Condition
My lower spine houses a condition called spondylolisthesis. This is a fancy term for slippage of the vertebrae off the bone underneath it.
In my case, L5,the lowest vertebrae of the spine, is slipping off the coccyx bone. I have a grade 4 which means the L5 bone has almost completely slipped off the coccyx bone.
Ouch!
As well, this has caused bone spurs, stenosis, three herniated disks and a lot of self care.
For many years I lived without many limitations to my movement or symptoms of pain so long as I did physical therapy on a regular basis.
A few weeks ago I did something to my back, however, which threw it out. I was limited after that with severe pain and inability to walk upright.
Today, finally after four weeks of wondering how can I be grateful for this I had an epiphany. The awareness came after using a physical therapy device.
It seemed to be magical. I had been doing physical therapy, which helped a lot, but this last addition caused a new healing.
After using it I was straighter, more pulled up and felt my lumbar spine decompress.
I believe this “healing,” allowed me to finally see the “gratitude” for this condition.
I am grateful for this back condition because I have learned from it how to heal myself even though the doctors said it could not be healed.
Their only solution was a toxic, painful and expensive operation with a very low success rate.
I am grateful to have had this lower spine issue so I could learn what was deemed impossible is very possible.
This world is highly malleable. Things we think are fixed, frozen and formidable are not.
I invite you to think about your own life now.
YOU can create solutions in your life that you did not think were possible using mind over matter, optimism and manifestation techniques.
You do not have to accept adversity.
You can thrive.
So I invite you to think about your own life now.
Pick something you hate about it.
Try to find the good in it. As you do this, your subconscious will start searching for this positive idea. It may not appear easily, quickly or automatically.
However, the “gratitude” for it will eventually surface.
When you find what you can be grateful about for the biggest dark problem you have, the energy of your life shifts.
You take this idea into everything you do. You evolve to higher vibration where miracles are possible.
Your consciousness expands.
You become a creation master!
Namaste,
Spirit Medium Laura