Terah Kathryn Collins practices, teaches, and lectures on Feng Shui, the Chinese art of placement, in San Diego. She specializes in teaching people how to see through their “Feng Shui Eyes,” opening the vision that leads to living in optimal harmony, comfort, and balance. She is the author of THE WESTERN GUIDE TO FENG SHUI: CREATING BALANCE, HARMONY, AND PROSPERITY IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT.
Expressing gratitude was something I learned by watching other people. At first, I wasn’t very good at it. I often forgot or simply wasn’t in the mood. Besides, I figured that people wouldn’t notice if I wasn’t grateful. It was like giving a gift they weren’t expecting anyway. But on those occasions when my mood was just right, and I did grace someone with a sincere thank you, something magical always happened. A surge of joy would whip through my body, magnetically connecting me with the other person. I began to remember to be grateful more often.
I like to try different ways of expressing gratitude to see how they feel. Surprising people with a thank you is great fun—their faces always light up, and we laugh and hold hands for a moment. Gratitude sheds a rosy glow across my whole life. The more grateful I am for everything in life, the more reasons I find to be grateful. There are the big things, such as my “tribe,” or my friends and family. There are the personal things, such as my good health and wonderful career. And gratitude reaches all the way down to the little things—the fresh flower arrangement, the bowl of oranges, the fire in the fireplace. Focusing gratitude on anything makes it grow!
Does this mean that because I’m grateful for the food on my table today, I’ll soon be giving thanks for everyone around the community, the region, and the world having plenty to eat? Could it be that since I’m grateful for the peace that exists in my neighborhood now, I will soon have the opportunity to be grateful for peace on Earth?
I’ve decided that the answer is YES. The circle of gratitude gets bigger every day. One grateful thought and you’re in. And once you are, watch the circle grow.
