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Aspect #30

ESSENCE BOOK #1

3 min read

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

~ Epictetus

ESSENCE: Gratitude is the foundation of happiness and prosperity.

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, the readiness to show appreciation for, and to return, kindness. Gratitude includes celebrating life and acknowledging the beauty and potential of one’s Self. Gratitude provides the basis for true happiness and prosperity to emerge.

Many of us take our health for granted, until we get sick. Many of us take family and friends for granted, until someone close to us dies. Many of us reminisce about the good old days, yet at the time they didn’t feel so good. The point is, gratitude is generally realized after the fact, reflecting on the past.

Our world is plagued with a lack of gratitude in the present moment. Perhaps it’s time for many of us to be grateful for what we do have, and stop comparing and complaining about what we don’t have. Perhaps we begin with being grateful for waking up this morning!

Sleeping Souls tend to be so caught up in their drama-filled lives that gratitude is reserved for birthdays, Thanksgiving dinner, and religious holidays. Many Sleeping Souls rarely take the time to count their blessings—such as family, friends, food, health, shelter, love, fingers, toes, and senses. Many of them have difficulty expressing their true feelings of gratitude because they are living in their minds, not in their hearts. Gratitude emerges from an open heart. Many Sleeping Souls are extremely materialistic, never having enough, focusing on what they don’t have. The more selfish and greedy they tend to be, the less gratitude they tend to have in their lives; a strong correlation exists. Some begin to seek.

Seekers tend to see the beauty of the world around them. Many will discover their renewed connection with Nature. Some will make watching the sunset a part of their day, and admiring the new and full moons a part of their month. Some will discover their renewed connection with family and other personal relationships. Seekers tend to express gratitude by letting other people know how much they appreciate them. Their foundation of gratitude eXpands. Their happiness and prosperity increase.

Awakened tend to count their blessings every day. Gratitude is at the core of their existence. As they go through their day, they tend to acknowledge the gratitude they are experiencing: being grateful for waking up from sleep, being grateful when buying groceries, being grateful to spend time with family and/or friends, and being grateful when they secure a new client. They tend not to take anything or anyone for granted. Awakened realize that gratitude is the ultimate state of existence for receiving, gracefully attracting into their lives the experiences they desire. And through eXpanding their gratitude, they tend to become very humble….