 
In the first two parts of this article, I discussed 6 pervasive traps the ego uses to keep most people from enjoying the abundance of the Universe and living a life of peace, joy, and happiness. These traps were:
- the ego always prophesies negative futures
- the ego always want more
- the ego has to be right all the timeThe ego judges what is good or bad
- The ego wants to feel superior and special
- The ego is ready to be offended
In part 3 of the article, I will complete my discussion on other powerful traps the ego uses. Although these 4 traps appear in part three of this article series, they are just as power as the traps I discussed in part one and two. So with that, let’s take a look at the next trap the ego use to cause suffering and unhappiness.
7. The ego keeps us in the illusion of separateness
The ego wants to convince us to believe the illusion of separateness. It keeps us from knowing the truth of who we truly are. The ego cuts us off from other people, from nature, from Source Energy (God), from our Higher Self, from and our true purpose. Our ego is the great usurper and convinces us that we are truly separate Beings with ultimately separate will, having no inherent connection with other people or with God. The truth is that we are divine Beings that are one with God.
From the moment we begin to compare anything to “me”, “myself”, or the “I”, we perceive the illusion of separation, and we blocked our connection to our Higher Selves. Think about it, do you say statements such “I am an American, I am British”, or “I am a Republican or a Democrat” or “I am an alumnus of Harvard” etc? Well, the ego loves when you use these and similar labels (identities) because these labels say you are distinct from another group, and they infer you are separate from other groups of people or another person. Not only do they say you are separate from other people, but they hide your true identity which is an individualization of Source Energy. We are not separate; in fact ee all an individualization of God, and we are all one.
Action Item:
When you use labels to describe yourself, be aware that any term (label) that you use after “I AM (label)” is not you. You are the one who is witnessing your experiences. Do this experiment: close their eyes and take a deep breath. Slowly exhale, stop all thinking and remain quiet. Do this for about 45 seconds. After 45 seconds, open your eyes. While your eyes were closed, did you hear a voice in your head. If you heard a voice as everyone does, who was listening to the voice and who was speaking?” If you are like most people, you probably said your mind was creating the chatter you heard. If this is the case, it appears there are two of you. There is your mind (ego) and there is the observer or witness of what was spoken. The observer is your Higher Self, sometimes referred to as the True Self or Soul. Your Higher Self is pure Spirit and is a luminous ray of light from Source Energy (God). Your Higher Self is your inner core that has awareness, and it is the center that observes. It is eternal, and is the part of yourself that consist of pure consciousness and connects you directly to the Source Energy. But your ego hides this truth from you because it is terrified if you discover it, you will live through your Higher Self, and it would no longer be needed.
8. The ego keeps us focusing on the past or future
The ego is our habitual thought program. Like a computer, it is unconscious and unaware. It just sends random thoughts and information about things having to deal with the past and future. The internal dialogue within our minds continuously comments, often critically, on everything we do. It thinks, “I did that well, so people will approve of me”, or “if only I had said it differently she would not have gotten upset.” It is the voice that speculates on the future, “Should I make that telephone call?” or “how would life be if I marry that person?” are examples. It wonders what other people are thinking and how they will react.
This incessant chattering keeps us trapped in time because it focuses on the past or the future. As long as our attention is in the past or future, we are not experiencing things as they are. Instead, we are seeing them through the ego’s judgments (filters) of the past and the ego’s fears for the future. At times we can be so caught up in our self-talk that we do not even notice the present moment. We ignore what is going on around us, and do not appreciate how great life is. We are so engrossed in our concerns that we never seem to pause to let things be. We have lost the present moment of the NOW.
However, this moment is all that exists. This fleeting instant is the only reality. The past is gone forever, and the future is not yet born. We are alive in the NOW, but the ego keep most people’s minds stuck in the past or in the future. We grieve or glory over events of long ago. We carry resentments, guilt, and shame about events that occurred in the past. We think of what we should have said or might have been. We fear and fantasies over the future, and we worry about every moment of wasted time.
The ego loves when we have our attention in the past or are worrying about the future because we are unable to be aware of the ego traps. When we consciously enter into the stream of present moments as they unfold, we discover a sense of peace. We do not have to worry about the future or be concerned about the past. We can just enjoy what is happening right NOW. Moment by moment, as be stay in the NOW, we become aware of what we are thinking and doing, thus we notice the ego is causing our suffering.
Action Item:
Each day, take a few minutes and just notice what you experiencing and really feel the joy of each moment. Daily, I go on a gratitude walk, and I watch nature such a bee going from flower to flower or turtles playing in a pond. I give thanks for the experiences and I really feel the joy. There are no thoughts about the past or worrying about the future. I just enjoy what IS. It is amazing to surrender to the flow of life. As you get better at letting go, you will begin to see that the Universe will take care of all the truly important details of your live.
9. The ego causes attachment
One of the traps the ego use to bolster its identity is through the ownership or the clinging of things, experiences, and desires. It is amazing how easily we get attached to things. Have you ever found yourself parking in the same space at work or sitting in the same chair at your dining room table? How do you feel if someone else takes it first? We tend to think in terms of MY house, My car, My dog, My spouse, etc., believing that these things somehow actually belong to us. If someone attempts to take them away, our egos get miffed, and we can become very upset when they are lost or damaged.
Attachment is that which follows identification with pleasant experiences and is partly the cause of our suffering. It comes from the ego’s fear and insecurity; fear of change, fear of loss, or perhaps uncertainty about the future. Nothing lasts forever and all our worldly possessions have finite lifetimes. If we can just allow things to change without our clinging to them, life is much less stressful. To reduce suffering, we must learn to weather change.
Although we tend to associate attachment in terms of physical objects, it can also apply to mind-states. We go through life expecting certain outcomes based on previous experiences. We expect to feel satisfied after we eat, or that if we plan a future event carefully enough, it will turn out exactly as anticipated. What happens when these expectations are not met? The ego can become irritable or frustrated, to say the least, and perhaps quite angry with the people or situation we find ourselves in. Here again, we have caused unnecessary anxiety in our lives. Or perhaps we are being held captive by our memories, unwilling to let go of the pain or pleasure they afford.
These attachments to past events, or obsessive worrying about future events become hardened little nuggets or souvenirs that we carry around with us. It is the unproductive “emotional baggage,” both mental and physical, that we drag along with us. Both the past and the future can be traps for our minds. The past traps us in “if only” memories and the future traps us in “what if” scenarios. How much better it would be to just be OK with things as they are right now? The challenge is how to get to that point.
We can also have an attachment to our “specialness” which creates enormous blocks to awakening to our true identity (an individualization of Source Energy). It generates fear and resentment and prevents our alignment with Source Energy because these things we are attached to have become our identity.
Examples of attachments:
Being attached to your children or spouse
Being attached to a title such being called Doctor, Senator, Your Honor, Captain, etc.
Being attached to your physical features
Being attached to wanting to be financially abundant
Action Item:
When you have an item or a desire that you are attached to, ask yourself “why am I attached to this thing?” Furthermore, ask yourself “if this was taken away from me or I released it, would it diminish who I am?” Think about it. If you had $10,000, and it was taken from you, would who you are change? Yes, you wouldn’t have the money, but the core essence of who you are is still the same. Therefore, ask yourself “if you can release your attachment to the “thing” ?” If you can, just release your attachment. If you are unable to release your attachment, before dozing off to sleep, ask your subconscious mind to show you how to release it. Follow the suggestions you get from your subconscious mind.
10. The ego causes aversion
Aversion is the flip side of attachment, and the two are closely related. Aversion is a leaning back from or repulsion of or to something or an extreme desire to keep away from something or someone. Aversion is that which follows identification with painful experiences. It tells us that we (our egos) anticipate future unpleasantness based on past painful experiences. This makes us want to retreat from a situation or person we expect will cause us mental discomfort. It is also telling us that we believe outside events cause us to experience joy or pain, but this is a fallacy because all emotions arise inside ourselves and are just interpretations of our minds.
With aversion, expectations have not been met, and tension, fear, and defensiveness result. The ego feels the need to be in control and becomes stressed when situations or people thwart that need. Anger arises which bolsters the sense of power, and righteous indignation encourages feelings of superiority. If that does not work, the ego may retreat in fear, assuming a “victim mentality.” It whines and complain, “Why me?”.
Aversion manifests in two ways: outwardly or inwardly. We express it outwardly in anger towards others or the situation we find ourselves in. We dislike what is happening and we outwardly project our inner dissatisfaction. We also begin faultfinding, and we look for what is wrong in everything. The second way it manifests is by experiencing an inward withdrawal; we feel fear, grief, disappointment, or guilt. The first way generates enormous negative energy, while the second becomes paralyzing. Both of these reactions are painful, self-centered mind-states that allow us to be caught up in life’s little “dramas” and cause us to have negative thoughts which induce negative vibratory feelings.
Examples of aversions:
Spending time with people with bad manners
Hating rude people
Hating being poor
Disliking when people talk in a foul manner which causes you to get upset
Action Item:
When you encounter a situation or a person that your ego dislike and you feel disturbed by negative thoughts, immediate think opposite (positive) thoughts. This means you must understand that the unpleasantness you experience is not coming from outside. It is simply a condition of your thoughts and your ego’s interpretation of a situation based upon its rules. Furthermore, you must know that the condition is temporary, and it will soon pass. Once you acknowledge the pain or dis-comfort, instead of trying to avoid it, you can move toward acceptance of what “is” rather than the way your ego want things to be. Do not be afraid to name the demons of your ego- fear, confusion, guilt, anger, etc.
Most people usually react unconsciously to their feelings, but by bringing awareness to them, you can change to positive emotions. You become free; not free from feeling them, but free to feel; then move on, abandoning your ego’s rules and embracing another. Let go! It is an active choice that allows you to discovering yourself in new ways, and freeing yourself from old, limiting views.
Conclusion
The above ten ego traps that I discussed are merely an introduction to the power of the ego, but these are the most pervasive traps that the ego uses to control our lives. By gaining an understanding of what is occurring in our lives, we can come to see that our ego is not for our highest good. If we can begin to see the ego for what it is, a neurotic task master that is causing our suffering and unhappiness, then we have taken a step becoming our Higher Self toward reclaiming control over our lives.
In conclusion, remember you are not your ego. It is just an illusion.
Namaste,
RC
written by Reginald Cuffee
In part of one of this article, I discussed 3 traps the ego uses to keep most people from enjoying the abundance of the Universe and living a life of peace, joy, and happiness. These traps were:
- the ego always prophesies negative futures
- the ego always want more
- the ego has to be right all the time
In part 2 of the article, I will continue my discussion on other powerful traps the ego uses. So with that, let’s take a look at the next trap the ego use to cause suffering and unhappiness.
4. The ego judges what is good or bad
The ego judges everything to determine if it is Good or BAD. In actuality, everything that occurs in the Universe just “IS”, however, it is our ego that deems things, situations, circumstance, and people as Good or BAD. To the ego, Good is anything that should BE, and BAD is anything that should not BE.
Good and Bad is always an opinion or a viewpoint, and it is always based on some arbitrary value system that we learned from people of authority such as our parents, religious leaders, etc., or it’s values that we just made up based upon our experiences. For example, many people consider physical pain Bad, but physical pain IS our bodies’ way of announcing that our well-being is out of harmony, and it requires our conscious attention. Without pain, we would not get feedback from our bodies which could result into more severe problems. Think about it? What would happen if you were engrossed in a telephone conservation and you accidently placed your hand on a hot stove? Normally, the nerves in your hand would send a signal to your brain, and you would feel pain in your hand. Although your hand may be hurting, most people would considered this pain (feedback) as Good because you were alerted to remove your hand before you caused serious damage to it. Therefore, pain is not Good or Bad; it just IS.
Let’s look at another example that Good and BAD is always a point of view and never an objective reality. If a burglar is breaking into your house and the police shows up and stop the crime, is it Good or Bad? You probably would say it Good that the police showed up to stop the burglar, but the burglar would say it is Bad. How can this same situation be both Good and Bad? It is your ego’s perspective that defines it as Good. Your ego would say it is Good because people shouldn’t break into my house. From the opposite perspective, the burglar’s ego would define it as Bad because the he/she will be arrested. Therefore, when the police showed up and stopped the burglar, it wasn’t Good or Bad; it just IS.
Action Item:
The next time you find yourself judging a situation or person as Good or Bad, recognize that it is your ego that is defining the situation or person. Instead be thankful for what IS. For example, if your house burns down, don’t judge it is BAD. Instead be grateful that you and your family didn’t get hurt.
5. The ego wants to feel superior and special
The ego love to compare itself to the “competition” (other people) in a way that becomes detrimental. When the ego starts to view other people as being “more successful” than itself or if another competitor has more, knows more, or can do more than you, the ego feels threatened because the feeling of less diminishes its imagined sense of self relative to the other person.
To counter this feeling of being less, the ego may try to restore itself by criticizing or belittling the value of the other person’s possessions, knowledge, or abilities. If this fails, it will become angry, jealous, or resentful.
The ego does this because it feels it is superior and special. To maintain its superiority and ’specialness’, the ego believes it has to compete with others. So it becomes ruthlessly competitive. It can not accept the idea that it is not superior or special. However being superior or special implies that some people are more worthy than others, and that would mean Source Energy (God) plays favorites. But this is not the case because to God, we are all one.
Action Item:
If you hear that voice in your head complaining that another person is more successful than you are or has more than you, be aware that this is the ego being competitive. Furthermore, if you find yourself right up against a fit of anger, jealousy and resentment because your ego feels diminished, release these negative emotions. If you can’t release these negative emotions, focus on 10-20 things you are grateful for in your life now. As you do, these emotions will be replaced with joy, love and peace.
6. The ego is ready to be offended
We all know people who get offended by just about everything. Whenever a person is offended, he / she is at the mercy of the ego. The ego has set up internal rules of how we are to be treated and how everyone and everything MUST conform to its rules. The ego has rules about the way things should be and the way people should behave. If these rules are violated, the ego becomes offended and hostile. However, these rules are a way of guaranteeing a terminal state of being offended.
Action Item:
The next time you feel offended, be aware that one of your ego’s rules has been violated. Next, ask yourself ”why am I offended, and what rule did the other person violate? Next, ask if this rule is true, and where did I learn it? If it is not true, release the rule and create an empowering one to replace it.
For example, if you saw an interracial couple together, and you were offended, your ego probably has a rule (belief) that people of different races should not date. Using the questions above, ascertain why you are really offended. If you believe that your ego’s rule is true and valid, ask yourself, “would God be offended?”
Now release the rule, and learn to accept all people in all situations including yourself.
Well, I have covered six of the ego traps that cause people to suffer. If you become aware of them and use the action items I provide, you will experience a shift that change your reality. Come back soon for part 3 of this article.
Namaste,
RC
written by Reginald Cuffee
Have you ever heard the saying that “Prosperity is your natural state?” If this is true, why are so many people suffering, angry, frustrated, miserable, and unhappy with life? I believe this is occurring because of their egos are working overtime to keep them stuck in their self-imposed boxes (realities).
The ego is our conscious identity of who we think we are, but this identity is only an illusion. (See my article: “Is Your Ego Your Master?” for a more detailed explanation of the ego). Although the ego is not who we really are, it is controlling the lives of most people.
Think about it! How many times in your life have you set goals to change the results you experience in your life such as becoming wealthy, losing weight, or improving your relationships and were unsuccessful? You were not successful because your ego is sabotaging your intentions. The ego perceives its main job is to ensure your survival, but this is a fallacy. The ego is not concerned with your survival, but its own, and it protects itself by controlling you from changing your self-imposed box.
Although the ego has no power of its own, it is has a bundle of deceptive traps at its disposal to ensure that it remain in control of your life. When you are aware of these ego traps, it will be easier for you to distinguish your ego from the yourself (the True you), and it will be easier for you to surrender your yourself from the illusion of the ego and enjoy a prosperous life.
In this 3 part article, I will discuss the traps the ego uses to keep most people from enjoying the abundance of the Universe and living a life of peace, joy, and happiness.
1. The ego always prophesies negative futures
The Ego does not like change and uncertainty because they represent a threat to its survival. The ego always wants what is safe, secure and predictable, but life was not set up to be this way. When confronted with change or uncertainty, your ego compare the present moment to what happened to you in your past and predicts a negative future to protect you from pain such as embarrassment, guilt, shame, etc. It accomplishes this by causing you to experience fear.
Fear is one of the ego’s most powerful tactics it uses to maintain control over us. Fear is our prison, and it keeps most people trapped in a limited reality of struggle and unhappiness. If you use your Will and choose to change your reality, your ego will begin to generate resistance in the form of fear. All fear is, in essence, fear of the future and the unknown. Most people are afraid of the things that have not yet happened, but which if they did might bring them pain, suffering or some other discomfort. Since the ego likes to be in control, and it does not know the future, it prophesies what you may experience, and these prophecies are always negative in nature.
Action Item:
lf you experience fear, recognize that you are being controlled by your ego, and you are not aligned with Source Energy (God). Furthermore, your present thoughts are focused on what if (what can go wrong). Instead of focusing on what you don’t want, change your thoughts to what you want, and know that you are being guided by God. Just Let Go, and Let God (trust in the divine power of God). When you really DO this, your fear will dissipate.
2. The ego always want more
The ego continually bombards us with the idea that we must have more in order to be happy. The ego always wants more possessions, whether it is material goods such a new car, a new job or new clothes, or intrinsic possessions such as fame, status or power. It believes that having stuff is the key to survival, but its satisfaction in having is a relatively shallow and short-lived one.
Moreover, the ego equates having with BEing; I have; therefore, I am. The more I have, the more I am. It thinks that with success, suddenly we will experience special privileges which ultimately mean that it is special. Concealed within wanting more remains a deep-seated sense of dissatisfaction, of incompleteness, of “not enough.” “I don’t have enough yet,” by which the ego really means, “I am not enough yet.”
Action Item:
When you have a desire for something such a new house or car, determine the real meaning behind the desire. To accomplish this, ask yourself ” what would it mean if I got it?” For example, if you desired a new job, ask, what would that mean?
You may say, “I’ll have more money.”
Again, ask yourself, “what would that mean?” Continue doing this until you find the true reason why you really want it. If the desire is not based on enhancing your ego status, and it comes from your heart, go for it. If your desire exists to bolster your ego, release the desire.
3. The ego has to be right all the time
The ego is very opinionated. In fact, our egos have an opinion on everything. Whether the subject is war, abortion, taxes, religion, politics, etc, the ego believes it is right. Every ego confuses opinions with facts, and it always believes its viewpoints are right, but being right is identification with a mental position - a perspective, an opinion, a judgment, or a story.
Being right is how the ego thinks it will become happy. For you to be right, you need someone else to be wrong, and the ego loves to make others wrong in order to be right. In other words, you need to make others wrong in order to get a stronger sense of who you are, and it give you a sense of superiority which the ego craves.
“We are right and they are wrong” is particularly deeply entrenched in politics and those parts of the world where conflict between two nations, races, religions, or ideologies is longstanding. Both sides of the conflict are equally identified with their own perspective, and each side believe themselves to be in possession of the truth. Both regard themselves as victims and the other as evil and wrong. However, both sides are equally incapable of seeing that another perspective may exist and also be valid.
Action Item:
If you find yourself in a debate with another person and you disagree with the other person’s position, ask yourself if your position is a fact or opinion. For example, if you discussing abortion and your position is that it is wrong, ask yourself is it an opinion or a fact. If you believe it is a fact, ask yourself where did you learn it. Believe it or not, most things you believe are just opinions that someone made up, and you accepted it as being right. If it is an opinion, release it, stop the debate, and choose peace.
Well, these are just three of the ego traps that cause people to suffer. If you become aware of them and use the action items I provided, you will experience a shift that will change your reality.
Namaste,
RC
written by Reginald Cuffee
Many people read self-growth books, listen to personal develop audio courses, and attend wealth training seminars hoping to find the magic formula that will allow them to transform their lives to have wealth and happiness. They believe that if they do what the books, audio courses, or seminars suggest, they will have what they want and that having it automatically makes them into that successful person they always wanted to be.
Unfortunately, most people won’t do what they learned in the self-growth books, the audio courses, and the wealth seminars because it isn’t a natural thing for them to do. The doing of it, just doesn’t fit with the image of who they are.
For example, I had a client who attended a $9,000 real estate seminar. The seminar taught creative and proven marketing and prospecting strategies that would skyrocket her income; however, months later she was not achieving the level of success she desired. In fact, her sales were decreasing.
While working with her, I discovered that she had a fear of rejection, and this is fear was impacting what she was willing to do to be a successful real estate agent.
Even though the real estate seminar told her exactly what to do and how to do it, the new procedures were out of character for her because it wasn’t something she felt comfortable doing. Soon after the seminar ended, she was highly motivated to use some of them to improve her real estate sales, but the new procedures soon fell by the wayside for lack of follow through. And this occurred because of who she was being - a person who feared rejection.
In my assessment, the seminar instructors failed miserably in their job, because they never told her she would have transform who she was being if she was going to be successful using their strategies.
Although she wanted to Be a successful real estate agent, she was following the wrong manifestation process of DO/ HAVE/ BE. This is the same manifestation process that most people have been taught, but it is the wrong order to manifest what you desire. Not only is in the wrong order, but the Universe does not honor it because DO is not the first step in the manifesting process.
By telling us what to do, self-growth books, personal development audio courses, and wealth training seminars suggest that the manifesting order for any change in circumstances is DO / HAVE / BE. However, it just doesn’t work that way because they have the order backward. If you are not already Being that person, you will never be able to do what the authors/ instructors suggest until you change yourself into the person who will do those things as a result of who you are-not in spite of.
The Game of Life is set up so that we must grow in consciousness before you can have that better life you want. Having more requires a transformation, which is the first, not the last step, in the order of manifesting.
We must BE before we can DO, and DO before we can HAVE. The correct order of manifesting for us is BE / DO / HAVE. The real question in life is whether you will choose to Be or not to Be the one who has what you want from life.
Namaste,
RC
written by Reginald Cuffee
Are you a person who expresses gratitude for the prosperity that you are experiencing in your life? Do you know when you express gratitude, you are opening a conduit to manifest great things into your life such as the right people, the right circumstances, better health, increased financial abundance, more joy, etc.?
Now, let me as you another question– do you keep a gratitude journal? If you not currently using one, you are missing out on one of the best tools available to you to help you make your life more enjoyable right now. I believe in the power of the Gratitude Journal so much that I not only use it on a regular basis, but I recommend to all my clients, friends, and family member to start and continue using one because it has the power to deepen the “good” results you are experiencing in your life.
What Is A Gratitude Journal?
A gratitude journal is a paper notebook, electronic text editor (journal), or blog that you use to write about the things you are grateful for each day. It is a way to help you consciously focus on the things you have attracted in your life that make you feel joy. By expressing gratitude, you become aware of these things, thus you create a shift in your thinking and your attitude. Furthermore, a gratitude journal is a place where you can celebrate your wins in your life such as getting a job promotion, starting a new romantic relationship, losing five pounds, or any small or large goal that you have achieved.
Brian Tracy says “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step towards achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
Until you are grateful for what you have right now in your life, you can not expect new things to flow to you. So, if you currently do not have a Gratitude Journal, start one today. The following tips can help you start a Gratitude Journal and a whole new outlook on life.
Tips for Starting and Keeping Your Journal
1. Choose a blank notebook or journal to use as your Gratitude Journal. Consider using a spiral-bound notebook that opens flat for ease in writing. If you like to use technology, you can use an electronic journal or you can use a free blog from www.blogger.com.
2. Every night, create a few quiet minutes before going to bed, review your day, and write a list of at least five things that you are grateful for today. These things can be small or great such as hearing your baby’s laughter, seeing a flower in bloom, hearing a bird chirping near your window, or receiving unexpected money.
3. Make the list personal, and write a few words about why you are grateful for these things. When you initially start, you can be brief, but increase the length of what you write as time progresses. As you do, allow yourself to be free in form and structure. Some days, you might be feeling particularly abundant, and those five things will just fly onto the page. Other days, you may feel like you can’t think of even one thing that you are grateful for that day. It this happens, just remember how amazing it is that you even have a roof over your head, food to eat, or the fact that you have hot water for a bath.
4. You can write your Gratitude Journal in list-form, free-form, prayer-form, or begin each sentence the same way. Use whatever writing style feels comfortable with you that day. Express yourself freely, and do not censor your thoughts and feelings as you write. Just let the information flow from within.
5. Everyday, begin looking for the positive perspective in all things. View obstacles in your life as opportunities to appreciate and grow. Focus on the wonderful things in your life, so you can experience similar encounters in the course of your life. Use positive energy as a magnet to draw even more positive energy, and note the things that show up in your Gratitude Journal.
6. Personalize your Gratitude Journal. Expand it by including photos, clippings, quotes or verses from magazines or other sources.
7. Keep your Gratitude Journal in the same location, so it is easily accessible. The easier you make it for yourself to keep this routine, the more likely will you commit to doing it. I normally keep my Gratitude Journal on my desk in my office or on my night stand in my bedroom, so I can have easy access to it.
8. Keep your Gratitude Journal private. This is very important because this will give you an incentive to be more open and honest with your thoughts and feelings. This journal is for you and Source (God, Universe, etc).
What happens when you write in a gratitude journal every night?
As you continue expressing gratitude in your Gratitude Journal, you will notice more things in your life, and you will create greater feelings of appreciation. My experience is that when I write out what I am grateful every night, I become more in tune throughout the next day. It is like turning on an inner-switch that sets my awareness to look for experiences to be grateful for each day. So you might be jogging in your neighborhood in the morning, and catch the flash of a bluebird in the sunlight, and instead of going pass it, you stop and notice it for a moment. You take it in, and you make a mental note to include that in your gratitude journal. Later when you’re having lunch with a business partner, he grabs the check and pays it. Not only do you thank him, but you make that mental note again. Your day becomes amazing because you are living in the moment enjoying each thing that is occurring.
In essence, you have become a gratitude magnet, and oddly enough, amazing things start to find you. But you have to learn to be grateful now for all that your are experiencing.
To help you get started, here are just a few of the things I wrote in my Gratitude Journal from yesterday.
I am grateful for:
…spending time with my wife walking on the beach and enjoying the beautiful
oceanfront view and the sound of the waves as they rolled in on the shore.
…editing 30 pages in my book that I am writing. It was really fun and amazing easily to accomplish.
…that I chose to exercise even though I was tired from jetlag from my trip to San Diego / La Jolla.
…seeing the turtles and ducks swimming on the lake in our backyard.
…that I was able to enjoy a quiet lunch with my wife where we feasted on an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetable from her garden.
…that more people are visiting and enjoying my blog post.
Another thing you can do in your Gratitude Journal is list the things and experiences that you are grateful for attracting in your life now. These are things and experiences that are not YET in your reality, but are on the way to you now.
Here are a few things from my list:
I am grateful for:
…selling 25,000 copies of my new book in the first 90 days of it being released.
…500,000 people visiting my blog each month
…for my wife helping 25 families buy a new house or sell their existing house.
So, what are you waiting for now. Get started with your Gratitude Journal today. The key to having a Gratitude Journal is doing it! At the end of each moth, it is fun to go back and look at what you wrote to remind yourself of all the positive things you experiences throughout the last month, especially all the great things you consciously attracted in your life. This is such an amazing feeling knowing you consciously manifested things and experiences that were not there the previous month.
Really do this one. In fact, do it for 30 days, and see how the practice changes you. See if you don’t experience joy and experience more miracles in your life.
Namaste,
RC
written by Reginald Cuffee
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