The Magic of Gratitude

It's that time of year -- Thanksgiving. It's the time when we start receiving all the emails and cards from businesses thanking us for our loyalty and patronage, to the point where we are desensitized. I'm going to tell a different story today, and after you read it you will see gratitude in a whole new way.

First, I would like to thank you for being part of my list, for reading and responding to my messages (yes, I get responses quite often and welcome them). If you haven't already surmised, I love to write and teach. When people are touched by my words and moved in some way I receive a great deal of satsifaction from that. It wouldn't be possible without you.

Gratitude. Giving thanks. Being "thank-full". It's cliche at this time of year. So, let's remove the cliche right now and look deeply into what gratitude really is. Once you finish reading, I'm certain you will see the magical energy that gratitude generates and you will be excited to begin incorporating this magic into your life.

The Energy of Desire

It's human to want things. Gathering resources around us makes us feel stronger and safer. When we lack resources, we naturally feel more vulnerable. So, desire is one of the foundational energies of our lives.

We want to be loved, noticed, appreciated. We want a comfortable home to live in and enough food to sustain us.

But, "wanting" is not "having". When we want, we imply that we lack. And, when we don't have something, it is easy to become anxious about the lack of that thing in our lives.

We wish we had a higher income, we want to take that trip to Vegas in the spring but we're not sure if we will have the money. We see things our friends have, like nice cars and big houses, and we want that, too.

Unfulfilled desire, or delayed fulfillment, often creates excess tension in the body. If we allow it to, this tension will begin to affect every aspect of our lives. And, the desire itself becomes the blocking factor to us actually getting what we want.

When we constantly want more, we fall prey to the illusion that more will make us happier. "If I just had that Mercedes in that 3-car garage, then I'd be OK." But, this is an illusion. Nothing more than a fantasy.

Truthfully, the only thing that's keeping you from being OK right now is your idea that you lack something.

The Magic of Gratitude

You can stop the constant worry and anxiety at any time by being thankful for the gifts you already possess, and cultivating this thankful energy at every opportunity.

"I am thankful for the people who love me today. Thankful for those who I have the opportunity to love. Thankful for a car that gets me to my destination and back. Thankful for the music I love to listen to. Thankful for the opportunity to be kind to others."

When you cultivate gratitude, you relax, your heart opens, and you begin to find a deep well of inner peace and tranquility that you forgot was there. Suddenly there is SPACE for more to enter your life. And, undoubtedly it will, because this is simply how life works. You create space, and that which you desire naturally comes your way without effort.

THIS is the magic of gratitude. Use it starting today, and continue through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and into the New Year.

Recognize all the blessings of today. More will come tomorrow. I promise.

Chris Axelrad, M.S.O.M., L. Ac., FABORM, director of the Axelrad Clinic for Natural Women's Healthcare, is a recognized expert in women's health, natural treatment of hormone imbalance, and fertility enhancement using Traditional Chinese Medicine integrated with conventional medical knowledge. He is known for his easy-going manner and sincere compassion for his patients. Mr. Axelrad provides coaching and support to patients across the country via his remote treatment programs, and he also maintains a busy full-time specialty clinical practice in Houston, TX. Visit the clinic website to schedule your free 30-minute initial consultation.