Gratitude is the predecessor to Flow state...

Training yourself to tap into a state of gratitude on-demand is far and away the highest impact yet lowest commitment action that you can take. As noted, Gratitude is transformational and the predecessor to flow state. When you enter into anything in life from a place of Gratitude, your perspective is completely different. It becomes less about controlling the outcome, and more about allowing the experience. And luckily, Gratitude is a trained habit until it becomes a way of being.

Everyone is capable of training themselves and there are two means to achieve this that I would like to share:

The first step is recognizing that all thoughts exist on a mental pendulum. Visualize the pendulum as a means to simply have the awareness in the moment that an opposite thought exists to what you are thinking. And you have the ability to control the mental plane. So compensating to the desired thought is always available to you.

There is nothing like the first waking moment of the day to have an opportunity to embrace Gratitude. It is as simple as deciding that being Grateful is your first priority, despite what the circumstances might indicate or what previous thought patterns existed. Yes, it is incredibly easy to slip into the same old thought patterns each morning, but as you work on establishing gratitude as the first priority, there becomes less and less mental work involved. You will begin to crowd out any competing thoughts and swing the pendulum freely in your favor.

So tomorrow morning and each day going forward, before your mind starts in on the thoughts of the day, simply repeat to yourself that “I am grateful” and “I am thankful”. Naturally, you may associate material things with your Gratitude, and that is okay. But over a few days will you begin to extend that Gratitude for all the opportunities and interactions that you might have that day. And then finally, one day this feeling of Gratitude will come out of absolute sincerity. It will be unconditional.

As the day progresses, we can again begin to view all thoughts as existing on a pendulum. All undesirable thoughts are potential opportunities to mine Gratitude. Through visualizing the pendulum, we can allow ourselves to compensate by considering all the ways in which our thoughts and circumstances are serving us. We can be grateful for these thoughts and circumstances as they are showing where we can make adjustments in life. They are showing us where we can simply allow.

A second way to unlock gratitude throughout the day using synchronicity. For example, you may be seeing 11:11, 11:10, 10:11, 10:10, 1:11 and so on. Or perhaps you are seeing other numbers and combinations repeatedly. I see these and other specific numbers throughout the day, every day. And when I see them, I have trained myself to tap into Gratitude. And this has become a perpetual feedback loop that I’ve cultivated. Consider all of the number combinations that are being highlighted to you regularly and convert them into instant Gratitude in the moment.

Whether you are aware of these synchronicities at this time or not, you will be soon. Keep your eyes open. These synchronicities reveal the mathematical nature of our construct. We are very much interacting with the field around us, which shows in all manner of synchronicity.

In today’s digital world, many of these synchronicities come in the form of numbers, from clocks to freeway signs. But these also come in the form of animals, insects, nature, etc.. In my experience, these synchronicities pick up as you gain more self-knowledge, release suffering, and live in the present moment. Allow these synchronicities to reinforce Gratitude and other positive emotions.

And this brings us to flow state. A state where you are tapping into your intuition and taking care of your business in the present moment. The process of being in process so to speak. And your Gratitude enables the flow, which reinforces the Gratitude. And the flow state is reinforced by synchronicity, which also reinforces the Gratitude. Speaking from experience, flow is not always a given or available, especially when things come up that you need to heal and move past. Such is the eb and "flow" of life. However, getting into flow state using Gratitude as the predecessor becomes a trained habit, and something you will always be able to find your way back to.

Mike Hugh O'Neill