For instance, let’s say you’re not too fond of your place of work and you feel so stressed there that you have a hard time being appreciative. A good thought you might have about your work is that it pays your bills so you have food, shelter and gainful employment. Next, you might reach for a thought about a co-worker who is your friend, who keeps you laughing. After that, a thought about a good laugh two of you shared will probably pop into your head. After that, a thought about how much better your current job is than your last one will appear. Next, you might appreciate amount of vacation time you get. And so on.

The trick is to follow this process through, no matter how artificial it seems at first, until you actually feel a positive shift in your thoughts and feelings. You will feel lighter, brighter, happier, more uplifted and joyful. Many people have followed this process through until they are literally crying with appreciation. Think about how much prosperity that attracts!!

Even though Thanksgiving only comes around once a year, a little appreciation and gratitude (or giving of thanks) on a daily basis will take you far in journey toward prosperity. Good luck and, most of all, have fun with this!

God is love, spirit of love, energy of love. That love is always here for us when we open our heart. Our heart opens automatically when our intent is to learn what is loving to ourselves and others rather than protect against what we fear with our controlling behavior. To know God is to know Love. To know Love is to know God.

When Brianna looks at Connor with love, Connor feels afraid and turns away. If he opens to her love, he fears he will be vulnerable to being hurt. Maybe she won’t like what she sees if he is open and will reject him. Maybe she wants more than he wants to give. Maybe she just wants to suck life out of him like his mother did. Protecting against his fears is more important to him than being loving and sharing love with Brianna. Brianna loves Connor but is often lonely with him because he is afraid to share love with her. Connor complains that he doesn’t feel good a lot of time – he feels empty. He avoids his emptiness with food and TV, which doesn’t bring him joy.

Connor complains that he doesn’t know how to experience God. I tell him it’s not about how, it‘s about intent. When his deepest desire is to be loving rather than controlling, he will easily and naturally experience God. It’s all about intent. Our intent is what we have choice over. Our intent governs how we live, who we choose to be, how we behave. Our intent to love and learn about love opens our heart to experience of God.

If you feel empty, consider that it may be more important to you to control than to love. If you know others who appear to be empty, consider that it may be more important to them to control than to love.

Opening to love does not mean that we will be vulnerable to being hurt, manipulated, taken advantage of. In fact, opposite can happen: in experiencing God, we receive wisdom and strength to know what is good or bad for us, what is right or wrong for us. In opening to God, we discover what is in our highest good. It is far safer than relying on our wounded ego self. Opening to Love that is God through your intent to learn can bring you deep sense of fullness and safety for which your heart and soul have always yearned.