By Gregg Sanderson
Gratitude is not just for Thanksgiving anymore.
If you aren’t thankful, you can’t have happiness. Here’s how it works. Remember our new paradigm for happiness: Stimulus > NEED > Response. NEED, what you must have to be happy, is the program in your mind that creates stress and suffering.
Suffering rejects what is. It says, “It’s not OK if…” and “I’m not OK if…” and triggers the corresponding emotions: anger, guilt, fear and all degrees thereof that we call stress.
Love accepts what is. It says, “It’s OK if…” and “I’m OK even if…”
And triggers the corresponding emotions: joy, peace, gratitude and all degrees thereof that we call happiness.
When you’re grateful you aren’t needy. They can’t coexist over the same stuff, persons or circumstance. Sometimes you can feel grateful when a need is satisfied, but it quickly changes as fear of loss takes over, or another need surfaces.
Happiness lies not in filling needs, but in “reprogramming” them to preferences. That way, you can desire anything, but your happiness doesn’t depend on it. How do you change a need to a preference? By changing “It’s not OK” to “It’s OK” as we showed in last month’s column.
The program in your mind (need) creates the emotion that powers what you tell yourself. What you tell yourself goes back to the program that creates the emotion. Plant a new program and you get a new reaction.
The energy of the situation is your doorway to change, and you don’t even have to identify the need you reprogram. Your inner mind will accept any thought you put there if it’s backed by emotion, so be extra careful what you tell yourself when you’re in an emotional state.
Use the power of the scene that’s not OK and “Make it OK.” Just follow the steps we outlined in last month’s column. [INSERT LINK TO WEBSITE]
You’ll be amazed at how quickly the upset will dissipate. If you say the right things to yourself at the right time with powerful energy behind it, you erase and replace the need. Voila! No more stress.
You’re free! One more victory as you accept the unacceptable. You’re another step closer to unconditional love. Grateful? Of course you are.
Next month we’ll go a little deeper and start on the biggest needs that stand in the way of happiness, and what to do about them.
In the meantime, beware the cursed “J”s* (Justification and Judgment) and be grateful.
See last months article, “Tidings of Comfort and Joy”
Gregg Sanderson is author of Spirit With A Smile, The World According To BOB. He is a licensed practitioner in the Centers for Spiritual Living, and a Certified Trainer for Infinite Possibilities. His earlier books were, What Ever Happened To Happily Ever After? and Split Happens—Easing The Pain Of Divorce. His latest project is the New Thought Global Network, where subscribers can enjoy the best in New Thought presentations from anywhere at any time. You can see it at www.newthoughtglobal.org.