You never need to try to fake the feeling of gratitude. Instead of pretending to be thankful for something you’re not genuinely happy about, redirect your attention to something you do appreciate.
When you grow the genuine feeling of gratitude you have for something that brings you joy, you amplify that good feeling, and become magnetic to more energies that make you feel good.
On the other hand, if you pretend to appreciate something that is making you upset, you’re sending mixed messages out into the Universe, and will attract more things that you feel you should be grateful for, but you genuinely don’t like.
For example, if you’re in a wonderful, loving relationship but are temporarily upset by something your partner did, you don’t have to list out all the reasons why you love that person.
Instead, give yourself permission to be temporarily upset, and if you feel like you would benefit from adding more gratitude into your life, redirect your focus onto something you genuinely appreciate at that moment, such as how good the warm sun feels against your skin, or how great a freshly brewed cup of tea tastes.
Action Step: Release What You’re Not Genuinely Grateful For
One of the most powerful ways to amplify the positive effects of gratitude in your life is to stop pretending you’re grateful for things you’re not genuinely grateful for.
When you pretend to feel gratitude for something that is making you upset, you may be able to convince other people, but the Universe always knows the truth because it responds to your authentic energy.
Writing down things you’re genuinely grateful for and things you think you should be grateful for but aren’t helps you become aware of the difference, so you can let go of pretending to feel something you’re not.
Take out a piece of paper and a pen, and create two columns. In the first column, write a list of things you’re genuinely grateful for at this moment. In the second column, write a list of things you feel you should be grateful for now but aren’t. Then draw a giant ‘X’ over the second column to signify letting go of the need to pretend to be grateful for things you’re not genuinely grateful for.
It’s important to note that this list may change. For example, you may be participating in a career you genuinely love, but at the moment of completing this exercise, there is something about your career that deeply frustrates you.
This exercise only reflects a snapshot of your current feelings, and doesn’t share your long-term feelings toward anything you write on your lists.
If you feel inspired, please share what you wrote while doing this exercise in the comments.
Love,
Eric John Campbell