I have been practicing being grateful and feeling the power of gratitude for the past year ever since I read The Secret, The Power and The Magic.

Quite frankly it has been the worst year of my life. I lost my family home, I lost my job, my ten year relationship came to a very painful ending, I lost all confidence in myself, my self esteem hit rock bottom. I lost everything financially and was on the road to declaring for bankruptcy. However the greatest loss of all was yet to come, my brother, the youngest in the family, passed away tragically and suddenly. I sank into a deep depression which lasted for 3 months with very dark days and total hopelessness taking over my life.

However, the interesting thing is that one would imagine that you might say to yourself that it’s waste of time being grateful, placing gratitude at the center of your life. No one could blame me if I turned around and said this is a complete waste of time, look at my life, hey it doesn’t work!

But that is not what happened and I really cannot explain why I never gave up, it never struck me to do so.

I still got out of bed each morning and said “thank” when the right foot hit the floor, and “you” when the left foot hit the floor. I think what happened was that without intellectualizing it, it became natural for me to be grateful for everything that I was blessed with in my life and not expect anything in return.

A miracle finally happened.

At the start of last week I began taking the first steps in the process of declaring for bankruptcy. By the end of that week I was hired to do the most amazing job. I was offered, without asking, the highest salary and remuneration package that I have ever had in my whole life, beyond anything I could ever imagine. I have been offered help with my financial problems.

It is an absolute miracle. I am walking around now like I am on a cloud. The weight and burdens of all my problems, worries, stresses, depression have lifted off my shoulders. I am suffused with gratitude. I feel it emanating from all my pores!
Nothing will bring my dear brother back, nothing. However his gift to me and my family is to help us understand that life is very short and that we must help each other and never to be disrespectful to each other.

I want to say to Rhonda, to everyone at The Secret, to everyone who has bravely told their stories, thank you, thank you, thank you!

I now truly understand what “I am that I am” means and “To give is to receive” really means.

I say to everyone, never give up on being grateful. Make gratitude the center of your being and your life and miracles will happen.

With love to each and everyone, with everlasting gratitude,

Catherine