– Banish Money Misery Excerpt – Gratitude and Generosity –
Most teachers of abundance advocate the use of gratitude and generosity to bring more money into your life. The energies of gratitude and generosity are attractive and magnetic to money. But here’s the thing…if you are being generous or grateful on the condition that you get something back, it is not going to help your financial life. Don’t think that this is some easy magical thing that you give away £2 and get £2 million back, or that because you pay lip service to gratitude you will get lots of stuff in return.
And I have seen both attitudes – both in the mirror in myself and in other people who are working to improve their financial lives. Both unconditional generosity and unconditional gratefulness will make you feel more abundant, which will ultimately help to bring more to you. But if you do it from the perspective that you give in order to get, that is not unconditional, and is more likely to bring you more stress.
So let’s forget for a minute the idea that gratitude and generosity will bring something to you sometime in the future and concentrate on the immediate benefit. Feeling truly grateful is a beautiful feeling – remember the last time someone did something really lovely for you, and how good it felt to appreciate that? That is the feeling you are reaching for – that heart-expanding beautiful feeling of thanks-giving.
Generosity is similarly a beautiful feeling – when you give with a generous, open heart, not with a sense of obligation. You will know the difference between giving begrudgingly and giving with an open heart. Being generous (whether with your time, your money, your expertise, your friendship) feels wonderful, whereas giving begrudgingly feels like a chore, like you are being forced into it. To be able to treat your friends and family is a lovely place to be in. To be able to give to a charity is a wonderful thing. And to be able to treat yourself with generosity is the most beautiful of all.
For the next month, every day find 5 things to be truly grateful for. Remember to get the feeling of gratitude – don’t just go through the motions. If you want to intensify the experience, add a ‘because’ – e.g. I am grateful for my lovely car because it is reliable, comfortable and allows me a freedom I would not otherwise enjoy. As we’re talking money, find at least one thing to be grateful for in your financial life.
Love
Donna.x
by
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