Published first on www.thriveglobal.in.

A Magic Prayer, the More You Use It, the More You Get

Feeling thankful has the power to attract positive changes in life.

I must admit that I embarked on the ‘one-way magical journey’ of gratitude, consciously, only a few years ago. I soon realized and saw clear evidence of the fact that when I felt grateful for something, more of that came into my life as a magic magnet!

Imagine getting more of what you want or what you like, just by feeling gratitude for having it, just by appreciating it in whatever form and scale you already have it or even a part of it! That’s why I called gratitude a magic prayer.

You don’t have to necessarily say this prayer out loud. You just have to feel it.

But ‘awareness is key’. You need to practise it enough that your awareness of receiving gratification—big or small, comes to you naturally and you immediately feel or say your silent magic prayer of gratitude.

Below are 10 common situations, which most take for granted and just assume their occurrence or presence in their life—sometimes with a sense of entitlement and sometimes with just absence of mind. But the magic of gratitude and developing that precious awareness also lies in the basics of your daily life.

Just by developing an awareness of these things and not assuming them in your life by default, will make you feel joy in the smallest of things and this magic prayer of gratitude will work like a magnet to attract more joy and abundance.

1. Every time when you’re travelling to/ from work or elsewhere, do you feel gratitude for being in a comfortable, air-conditioned car, maybe even with a chauffeur, while it may be burning hot or freezing cold or raining heavily outside?

2. Every time you go to bed tired, do you feel grateful for the comfortable bed, the air-conditioning in your room and the cosy duvet you sleep in?

3. Every morning when you wake up and walk sleepy eyed into your bathroom, do you feel gratitude for your private bathroom and the hot water shower?

4. Every day when your maid, cook, driver, car cleaner do their duty to serve you and fulfil your basic household needs with honesty and sincerity, do you feel gratitude towards them?

5. Every month-end when your salary gets credited to your bank account, do you say ‘Thank you’ to the universe (or whoever you believe in) for receiving that salary?

6. Every time you take out your card or cash to pay for something you really wanted, do you feel gratitude for the money you have and for being able to afford what you really wanted and even send blessings to everyone, known and unknown, who probably had a hand in making that material object or an experience accessible and available to you?

7. Every time you have a good, enjoyable meal at a restaurant, do you feel gratitude for it and send silent blessings to everyone who contributed, behind the scenes, to your meal and experience?

8. Every time you get on a flight, whether for work, holiday or a family occasion, do you spend a moment feeling gratitude for the wonder of aviation technology and being able to fly in comfort and luxury?

9. Every time you go on a holiday, do you feel grateful for being able to take out time, your leave approved, to be able go to there with your friends, family or just to spend some time by yourself?

10. Every time it is a family member’s or a close friend’s birthday, do you feel gratitude for their presence in your life, their love, friendship and support, besides just wishing them mechanically?

Try it. There’s no downside to feeling joyful and blessing someone!