Giving thanks is the expression of gratitude, and gratitude is one of the most beautiful secrets in spiritual life. Gratitude is a form of love, and love is something which flows from the Creator of the universe through all forms of life and manifestation. Without love, life in the universe cannot exist. Love is the universal force of preservation which holds creation in manifestation.

The Natural Flow of Love
Love is as natural as the universe. By design, there is a tension between the forces of creation and universal love. It is this tension which controls the size of the universe, holding it within its envelope. It is this tension which regulates the size of an electron's orbit around a nucleus. Love is the force which retains electrons in their orbits, making atoms possible and the existence of life as we know it.

You can block love, or you can allow it to flow naturally through you. Falling in love with another person is an allowance of the flow of love through your heart. In a world where everything has the appearance of separateness, it is a surrender to the underlying unity of all life. It is a place of apparent vulnerability, a willingness to take the risk that separation will once again return if that love is later lost.

When you allow your heart to open to the universe's flow of love, gratitude comes with that flow. Gratitude for being alive, for just existing, for just being in the flow of the adventure of life. Gratitude for the Sun that gives us life. Gratitude for the Earth that gives us our home in the cosmos. Gratitude for the people that you love, and for those who share your journey through life.

Gratitude flows unimpeded from an open heart. When you allow it, it flows as freely as the sunshine, unobstructed by judgments or conditions.

One of the most endearing things a person can say to a loved one is this: "I'm grateful for having you in my life, and I appreciate you for who you are." If you haven't already tried this, try it sometime. It adds new meaning to the words, "quality of life."

Owen Waters is editor and cofounder of Infinite Being LLC. He promotes a philosophy of spiritual empowerment through inner connection to the source of your ultimate potential. For more Spiritual Words of Empowerment subscribe to his free weekly newsletter. For the full picture, read Owen's book, The Shift: The Revolution in Human Consciousness.

Peter Shepherd notes: As I expect you have noticed, the articles by Owen Waters are uniformly full of wisdom and insight... his books, therefore, are not to be missed. Owen's new e-book, Discover Your Purpose in Life, will not only show you how to discover the purpose of your inner being and your own destiny, it will take you on a voyage of inner discovery. On this journey, you will pass through the layers of what used to be unsolved mysteries. "At each step, we will go deeper still, always using the question 'why' to go deeper, until we reach the final layer and discover the answer to the ultimate mystery in life."

I believe the book offers precisely what many need to know, in order to launch their life into the spiritual dimension, and to be part of the new age of higher vibration consciousness. This amounts to knowing one's inner nature, and as a result, one's life purpose. The trinity of life, love and truth need to be experienced, not just 'known about,' and Owen's e-book gives enough guidance for that process of true illumination to take place. It's available at a special intro price at the moment and I highly recommend you to purchase.

More Heart to Heart Information & Services on this Topic

Daring to be Yourself The aim of the new book, Daring to be Yourself by Peter Shepherd, is to help you achieve a 'wide-awake' state of consciousness, with integrated use of left and right brain abilities, forming the bedrock for breakthroughs in personal consciousness and spiritual insight. The practice is based on the premise that we have learned disabilities which set boundaries to our action and knowing. But no one need accept that they must remain as they were shaped by their hereditary body-mind and by the conditioning of their childhood and culture. This 264-page paperback book is like a "best of" Trans4mind - that you can read snuggled up on the sofa, away from the computer! But much more than that, it's also an incredibly powerful program for personal growth. Remove the barriers to self-knowledge and reveal your full potential with this step-by-step approach... Daring to be Yourself Our Blog features excerpts from the book plus current news, views and links. "I realize many people use praise in ways that sound frivolous...but I must tell you that your book has changed my life AND I mean that in all ways. I found the entire work wonderfully upbeat, readable and valuable! It really was quite a wakeup call. In the midst of my "trials and tribulations" I had failed to be "me." Anyway, this "talk with you" really did change my life. Thank you! I needed this kind of "kick in the pants." It worked. WOW! You made a huge difference in my world."–Becky, USA Daring to be Yourself is included with purchase of the Start a New Life! home-study course, which is effectively the practical "workbook" that accompanies the paperback! Working through this course enables you to dare to be yourself and design a brand new life. Expressing your true needs, wants and feelings, you can start to live your life's purpose! After you have purchased the course, Peter Shepherd is available whenever you wish by email, to guide you every step of the way from where you are now, until you are established in a brand new life - the life that you have designed... Start a New Life!