The Law of attraction- what you want is what you get. That is a powerful statement filled with almost a magical (if it works) quality. Being a skeptic, and having a little south side of Chicago cynical edge to me- I thought surely this "Secret- The Law of Attraction" is all new age woo woo talk. And everyone is buying into it like the story the emperor's new clothes. I will be the only one who says "Ha! You're buck naked! Get clothes on your scrawny behind before you embarrass yourself."
Having come from a rather melancholy and the glass is half empty pessimistic cynical family (though I forced myself to learn bubbly and perky because it was more fun!)- this whole experience will be genetically out of whack with how I was raised to think and react to things. So I think I am a great test subject. Who better to turn into a positive optimistic grateful person than one who's wired as the opposite?
Okay- I'm not that bad a skeptic but I do question a lot and often have to find out for myself the truth. So I decided to take this journey of attracting happiness and abundance by thinking of happiness and abundance through finding daily gratitude. I decided to give it a true chance- not just one day, or one month- or several months. Why not a whole 365 days- a full year. Surely that should give this concept a chance to "work its magic"- right? So that is what I will do- a full year of daily gratitude's- attracting all the good in my life by thinking about and then documenting (via this blog journal) something positive everyday.
So I ask myself will this gratitude include "I'm grateful that a-hole who cut me off in traffic didn't hit my car?" Or am I missing the point. Or better yet is grateful "Thank God I don't have any horrific disease?" Then I thought that is not the point. That type of gratitude focuses on not having a negative. The whole idea of the "law of attraction" is have positive thoughts that will attract positive back. Well then, I am truly happy I didn't get hit by the car, and don't have any disease. But then "hit by a car,"and "disease" are negative words and will not put me on the right path of the spirit of this law. Gratitude is what makes you feel happy, deep down joy. So that is my goal for my daily listings.
Then the next thought is, will I run out of things to be thankful for? And end up listing sunshine and my dishwasher as a gratitude? Though I really enjoy both- one for warmth and one for freedom in the kitchen. Will I have enough positive gratitude with meaning and depth to fill 365 days? I really don't know yet, but I have to begin with day one first.
What better way to start than with a fresh brand new New Year? January 1, 2008 is my day one. I was a little selfish- because there are a lot of things I have on my New Year's Resolutions list- lose the last twenty or so pounds I have been hanging onto forever from having four children, then tone up my current flabby childbearing body, sell (and publish) my first manuscript, finish another manuscript... become a New York Times bestselling author, appear on Oprah, become a multi millionaire (oops- I added in a few dreams there too.)
So, I thought- hey why not kill a few birds with one stone? If this Law of attraction business really works like they claim- then all of these resolutions and more will all be taken care of - right? Shoot I should also add on wining the mega lottery to boot. But I digress.
Here it is day one- and I have to find a gratitude. Even a little one. Something positive, that makes me deep down genuinely happy. It should be genuine - right? I have to be honest, give it my heart or else it would be cheating. Surely the law of attraction energy field knows when someone is faking it and not putting "real" positive thought vibes out there? Right?
Having come from a rather melancholy and the glass is half empty pessimistic cynical family (though I forced myself to learn bubbly and perky because it was more fun!)- this whole experience will be genetically out of whack with how I was raised to think and react to things. So I think I am a great test subject. Who better to turn into a positive optimistic grateful person than one who's wired as the opposite?
Okay- I'm not that bad a skeptic but I do question a lot and often have to find out for myself the truth. So I decided to take this journey of attracting happiness and abundance by thinking of happiness and abundance through finding daily gratitude. I decided to give it a true chance- not just one day, or one month- or several months. Why not a whole 365 days- a full year. Surely that should give this concept a chance to "work its magic"- right? So that is what I will do- a full year of daily gratitude's- attracting all the good in my life by thinking about and then documenting (via this blog journal) something positive everyday.
So I ask myself will this gratitude include "I'm grateful that a-hole who cut me off in traffic didn't hit my car?" Or am I missing the point. Or better yet is grateful "Thank God I don't have any horrific disease?" Then I thought that is not the point. That type of gratitude focuses on not having a negative. The whole idea of the "law of attraction" is have positive thoughts that will attract positive back. Well then, I am truly happy I didn't get hit by the car, and don't have any disease. But then "hit by a car,"and "disease" are negative words and will not put me on the right path of the spirit of this law. Gratitude is what makes you feel happy, deep down joy. So that is my goal for my daily listings.
Then the next thought is, will I run out of things to be thankful for? And end up listing sunshine and my dishwasher as a gratitude? Though I really enjoy both- one for warmth and one for freedom in the kitchen. Will I have enough positive gratitude with meaning and depth to fill 365 days? I really don't know yet, but I have to begin with day one first.
What better way to start than with a fresh brand new New Year? January 1, 2008 is my day one. I was a little selfish- because there are a lot of things I have on my New Year's Resolutions list- lose the last twenty or so pounds I have been hanging onto forever from having four children, then tone up my current flabby childbearing body, sell (and publish) my first manuscript, finish another manuscript... become a New York Times bestselling author, appear on Oprah, become a multi millionaire (oops- I added in a few dreams there too.)
So, I thought- hey why not kill a few birds with one stone? If this Law of attraction business really works like they claim- then all of these resolutions and more will all be taken care of - right? Shoot I should also add on wining the mega lottery to boot. But I digress.
Here it is day one- and I have to find a gratitude. Even a little one. Something positive, that makes me deep down genuinely happy. It should be genuine - right? I have to be honest, give it my heart or else it would be cheating. Surely the law of attraction energy field knows when someone is faking it and not putting "real" positive thought vibes out there? Right?
That is one thing I have learned (believe me through many trials and error) in 46 years is truth is much easier to manage. Therefore I will really give it my best shot to find genuine deep down gratitude. Even if I have to dig. Maybe it will get easier along the way. Or not. So here it goes, my first step in this year long journey of Daily Gratitude. On day 365 I should have, according to the interpretation of "The Law of Attraction," a life full of abundance and happiness (and dare I say dreams that come true too? )
So here is day number one. My husband, Tom, and 15 year old son, Sean, got back from a four day Appalachian trail camping trip with their Boy Scout Troop. They came back safe and had a wonderful adventure. As they walked in, tired, scruffy and smelling of campfires and the outdoors late New Years eve day I was grateful to see them. My tall skinny funny, popular and loving first born child- my son, and my always even tempered, handsome, hard working husband. I missed them, and enjoyed their tales of icicles that had formed inside their tent from condensation from their breath.
How their hiking boots were frozen stiff and they had to warm them up in order to put them on. How they ran into another hiker, late at night. Their group of eleven dads and sons were bundled up and huddled together after a long cold wet day hiking- and this hiker, donned in skimpy t-shirt and shorts- with a minuscule back pack and his tiny little dog still had seven miles left to trek alone in the chilling darkness. How they were amazed that hiker seemed completely in his element and at ease with his journey though he seemed (at least to them) so ill prepared.
So here is day number one. My husband, Tom, and 15 year old son, Sean, got back from a four day Appalachian trail camping trip with their Boy Scout Troop. They came back safe and had a wonderful adventure. As they walked in, tired, scruffy and smelling of campfires and the outdoors late New Years eve day I was grateful to see them. My tall skinny funny, popular and loving first born child- my son, and my always even tempered, handsome, hard working husband. I missed them, and enjoyed their tales of icicles that had formed inside their tent from condensation from their breath.
How their hiking boots were frozen stiff and they had to warm them up in order to put them on. How they ran into another hiker, late at night. Their group of eleven dads and sons were bundled up and huddled together after a long cold wet day hiking- and this hiker, donned in skimpy t-shirt and shorts- with a minuscule back pack and his tiny little dog still had seven miles left to trek alone in the chilling darkness. How they were amazed that hiker seemed completely in his element and at ease with his journey though he seemed (at least to them) so ill prepared.
Tom and Sean were home- along with their stories and piles of dirty gear. I was glad to see every bit. They were safe. They had fun. They were back home- with me. With all of us. We would all be at our friends' annual New Year's eve party celebrating together as a family. For Tom and Sean, and for all of us six of us being together. "God Bless us all- everyone" (ode to Tiny Tim)
There is my first gratitude. It felt pretty good to write that out to.
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