Law of Attraction Tools Part 4: Gratitude vs. Appreciation

One of the key elements for positively activating the Law of Attraction in your life that was mentioned in the movie, “The Secret,” was gratitude.  Gratitude by definition is thankfulness or being thankful.  I can honestly say that there isn’t a day that goes by where I do not express gratitude for something: my health, my senses, my breath, my career, my puppy, my family… the list is virtually endless.  I can say however, that there are times where I’m truly thankful and grateful yet I don’t actually feel the emotion of thankfulness as deeply as others.  Try to recall the feeling that stirred inside you when you were a child and your mother made you say “thank you” to someone when they gave you a compliment, or when you received a really nice gift.  Thinking back on those feelings, those different experiences yielded two distinct emotions even though they both included the phrase “thank you.”  Even now, I recognize a difference when I’m expressing gratitude in a way that seems rote and routine or in a way that seems pure and genuine.  Which one is probably yielding the results I desire?  You guessed it!—the pure and genuine expression of gratitude.

I call this ideal expression of this attractive emotion “appreciation.”  When you appreciate something, there’s value that’s immediately attached to it.  You would feel a void of some sort if it was missing and you recognize it in that moment.  You possibly feel like you owe it to a person who helped you in hard times, your deep, heart-felt appreciation for all that they did for you.  That’s your unaltered gift to them in return for their graciousness.

I know at times, when I simply say “thank you,” I almost feel like I’m taking something away from the person or entity I’m thanking.  For them to give me something, I have to be on the receiving end, but it doesn’t always feel like genuine gratitude.  On the other hand, when I express appreciation when I use the words “thank you,” then I feel like I’m not only receiving their gift, but I’m also giving something back to them in return.

Here’s a classic example of the difference I recognize between gratitude and appreciation: My significant other compliments me on my dress.  I simply say “thank you” feeling grateful that he gave me that compliment but not really giving him any credit for actually giving it to me.  I just take the compliment and run with it feeling pretty good that he said it. 

Here’s another twist on that same example: My significant other compliments me on my dress.  I say “thank you” and let him know that I really appreciated him saying that.  I follow it up with the following:  “That really means a lot to me.  You brightened my day.  Thank you so much.  I love you.”  Feeling the emotion of appreciation beyond gratitude allowed me to have a deeper connection with the sweetness of the moment and tap into other emotions such as happiness and love.

Expressing gratitude is very powerful because it sends signals out to the Universe that connect you with other things to be grateful for.  As you express more gratitude, more will be delivered to you.  Understand that the intensity of this expression is what’s going to have the most profound impact.  Consider really how you ultimately feel and want to feel the next time you utter those words: “thank you.”  Add some power to the punch by making sure you add a whopping dose of appreciation in there as well.

August 7th, 2007