Like me, you’ve probably heard about “positive thinking” and “the law of attraction.” I heard say that in order to manifest what we want, we must feel grateful today, “as if it’s already happened.” I also heard the motto, “Give and you shall receive.”
These may sound like new age concepts, yet people of all ages from all over the world are feeling that these ideas hold truth. I asked four people who live by these principles for testimonials; what transpired is that there are two common factors to all of them: gratitude, and trust.
“As a child I was sick a lot and was often restricted to bed rest – a prison within home. How could one feel thankful when the cup is half empty and the water stinks? Yet I find that gratitude is a necessary skill that can be learnt and practised. I learned to live with the unpleasant and painful feelings and body sensations, and I’m thankful for my early life shaping a sense of acceptance of the ‘what-is-ness’ of things in daily reality. The attitude seems to evoke a sense of trust and well-being, which in turn often evokes spontaneous thankfulness.”
~ Maria Debono, 48, Malta
“My secret is to emit that which I want in return, while trusting the journey itself. I don’t get attached to any material thing or to money because I can see that everything in life is temporary anyway. I had jobs that paid me 3,000 euro a month, yet it was no problem for me to trust my intuition and quit these jobs which did not fulfill me in order to find what I was actually looking for: a harmonious lifestyle wherein I could live in peace. These days I make 20 euros a day in a restaurant but I wake up with a pure heart and a positive vibe everyday. And the Universe keeps giving me gifts as I give gifts to people.”
~ Henrik Lauste-Jurvin, 30, Sweden
“Most of my life I have had the ideas ‘follow your heart’ and ‘trust the Universe,’ so I did. It was not always fun and joy but I became more and more wise with every painful lesson, such that I feel grateful for everything life gives me. I believe it is such gratitude that has brought abundance in my life. For about 25 years I have dreamed of a piece of land where I could grow vegetables and edible plants to provide healthy nutrition for people with cancer in Denmark; four months ago I was finally offered that land and I have started a 3-year project while living with some very nice people at their farm in Jylland, Denmark.”
~ Lena Agger, 67, Denmark
“I always felt clear that building a career, getting married, buying a house and having kids is not all that makes one happy and whole. So against the pressures of society, and even with some fear, I let go of the five years I had invested in my studies and a promising career, for a simple, peaceful life on a small island working as a waitress for minimum money to serve basic needs. At first I questioned what I was doing … until the day I surrendered and fully delivered my human being (and not “human doing”) to trust and gratitude for life. Trusting within my heart that all experiences that life brings are exactly what I need for my evolution, and being truly grateful for all the challenges and pure joy of life, is the most fulfilling life I could live.”
~ Catarina Teixera, 26, Portugal
Perhaps it is not as difficult as we imagine to have what we all really want in life: happiness!
