Let’s say there are two basic options of what you do when things don’t go your way:

Option 1
Do you say, “Ok, that didn’t work out, I’ll just do it differently”
and move on?

Option 2
Or, do you get disappointed and allow circumstances to dictate how you feel?

For many years, I unconsciously chose the second option (disappointment)
and frankly that choice drove me nuts! At first, didn’t notice the choice
I had made (because it was an un-conscious decision). But the more it
happened, the more it got my attention. I recalled that any feeling,
good or bad, is a message from your subconscious. And the way I felt
was clearly not happy, because I felt dissatisfied.

The more it happened, the more it spoke to me and the more it woke me up.

Webster defines disappointment as:

Unhappiness from the failure of something hoped for
or expected to happen.

Hmm, I noticed several things about that definition.

* A state of unhappiness
* The feeling of failure
* Something expected or hoped for

That’s a LOT packed into one simple definition, yet this little word
often becomes the very thing that takes the wind out of our sails
and changes our mood (in a matter of seconds).

Often what happens when we want something, we set up an expectation and
we un-consciously get attached to that thing we expect. It’s like we place all our hopes and energy into it, and when it doesn’t show up in the very way we what, our feelings get hurt and we do our own version of “pouting”.

Disappointment = Lack of Gratitude

In essence, when we feel disappointed, we’ve shifted our vibration
dramatically lower than we can imagine.

Disappointment of not getting what you want = LOC 125 (on Hawkins Map of Consciousness.) For reference, Courage is LOC 200 and Peace is LOC 600.

The Problem with Lack of Gratitude

When you want more or when you are disappointed, you’re sending a
signal to the Universe that you are ungrateful. That lack of gratitude
“short circuits” your manifesting power because it acts as a limiter
and compresses your natural vibration.

“Gratitude also opens your eyes to the limitless potential of the
universe, while dissatisfaction closes your eyes to it.” – Anon

Disappointment and dissatisfaction are indicators of our lack of gratitude.
And when you are disappointed that something has not gone your way,
the signal you’re sending is one of scarcity.

The Antidote for Disappointment and Dissatisfaction

If you ever feel like things aren’t going your way, and you need a shot
of enthusiasm, this article may be the very thing you’ve been looking
for to make your own “Gratitude Shift” to transform your life.
(Read on for a cool exercise you can use).

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine
jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
– William Arthur Ward

The Real Shift Comes From Your Heart

Let’s say you’re having a bad day and you’ve begin to notice that you
haven’t been feeling much gratitude. And you remember that “gratitude is
the antidote” and you decide to “turn on the gratitude”.

Here’s where it can get kind of complicated.

If you choose to be grateful because by being grateful you think it
will get you what you want, then the signal you’re actually sending is:

1) You don’t have what you want

2) You’re not truly grateful (you’re in your ego)

This kind of gratitude isn’t real – it has no real feeling. It comes
from the mind. The mind thinks it can win if it “does something”
(rather than feeling it and being it through your Heart).

And the intent is you send the feeling of “not having” into
your gratitude and splits it into two – having and not having.
In other words, it’s like “faking it till you make it” – a common
slogan from the motivational movement that relies primarily
on the ego mind to get ahead and “go for the gusto”.

Gratitude Shift occurs when you choose to step back and let go
and allow your Heart to be your guide. It is the part of you that
allows you to feel gratitude (and does the actual creating!)

“Gratitude is the key that unlocks the essence of
your Heart and all of life”. – Dr. Joseph Dremer

So, how do you shift into gratitude? The kind of gratitude that lasts
more than just a couple of minutes? The kind of gratitude that makes
you feel good just by feeling it?

Imagine this exercise helping you make the very shift that
opens the flow (and gives you peace of mind that lasts)

“Gratitude Shift” Exercise

1. Close your eyes

2. Begin to breathe slowly and deeply

3. Touch your Heart and begin to get in touch with how you’re feeling

4. Think of something you love, something you already have in your life
that you really appreciate (a friend, a pet, a loved one, a work of art)

5. Allow yourself to really feel that feeling of gratitude – from your Heart and just breathe into that feeling for at least several minutes.

Practice this exercise when you’ve got some time to appreciate it (like in the morning before you jump into the busy-ness of the day or right before bed).

And let yourself feel the essence of gratitude as it reminds you of your Essence…

And so it is…

“If the only prayer you ever prayed was thank you,
that would be enough” – Meister Eckart

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