Summary: “If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” —Meister Eckhart<br> There’s a quote by the ancient roman philosopher Cicero that states, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” Cicero was born in 106 BC which means that the simple wisdom of this powerful virtue has been around for a very, very long time.<br> It’s amazing how the simple acknowledgement of gratitude can completely re-frame an experience. It also takes you out of your head, snaps you right into the present moment and drops you into the expansive warmth of your heart space. It can also change your mood in an instant.<br> As author Melody Beattie says, “Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”<br> When you feel gratitude, your ego quickly sidesteps and allows greater love, compassion, and understanding. Genuine gratitude is also one of the most powerful ways to invite more goodness into your life. It’s as if you’re saying to the Universe, “please bring me more of this.”<br> With gratitude, you can feel bliss for absolutely no reason. Simply being alive and being able to gaze at the stars and appreciate the miracle of life will bring you happiness. Appreciating your life in this way dissolves any thought of lack or limitation and reminds you of the positive things that surround you. And it’s then that you’ll realize that everything you experience is a gift.<br> Gratitude is so simple in its magnificence. It humbles. It empowers. It transforms. When you’re in gratitude, your energy naturally becomes peaceful, content and loving. The amazing thing about gratitude is that you can’t experience fear, scarcity, or doubt when you’re in it. Simply by being thankful for what is, you instantly provide relief for yourself from any internal discomfort or suffering – physical or mental. Gratitude is one of the most powerful energies on the planet.<br> Think of the many things in your life that you appreciate. When you take stock of everything in your life and express gratitude – and really mean it – you open the door for even greater abundance to flow into your life. By giving thanks for all that you have and committing to living your life in deep appreciation, abundance is certain to flow to you.<br> What is true abundance? Most people think of material abundance – money and stuff. But that’s not true abundance. How many people do you know with money and stuff who are miserable and unfulfilled?<br> We know true abundance when we feel joy, happiness, vitality, and a sense of purpose in our daily lives. Abundance is the feeling that comes from being connected to something greater that our selves. We can feel it while out in nature, when we’re with good friends, hanging out in the pure presence of kids and animals, and even when we’re pampering our self with guilt-free relaxation.<br> When you open your heart and mind to the riches all around you every moment of every day, you will see the reality of abundance that is always with you regardless of your current life situation. And for that, you can truly be grateful.<br> On today’s Unplug podcast, we speak all about gratitude (among other great topics) with the wonderful Jo-Anne Guimond. Jo-Anne is the creator of the Gratitude Project which she describes as “a social engagement experiment triggered by my personal desire to celebrate the many blessings in my life in concert with others. It was sparked by the simple question:<br> “Wouldn’t it be cool to find out what others are grateful for?!”<br> And that’s exactly what she did. For Jo-Anne, 2013 was the year of adventure, extending the boundaries of her comfort zone, and gratitude.<br> Today we discuss such topics as:<br> • How do you dare to be grateful?<br>
