I thought of this a few months ago "repetitious gratitude is far more effective than wishful thinking." I am a firm believer in "the thoughts of today become the things of your tomorrow." Gratitude is the quality of being thankful for the things that we have. It is a mental state that is in the positive. When your mind is in a state of thankfulness and gratitude it becomes receptive.
Thoughts are impulses in our brain this means that thoughts have vibration. Our minds conduct alpha, beta, delta and theta waves. It has been proven that like vibrations attract like vibrations. If your mind is centered around a state of recognizing the good things that you have those vibrations will only bring more of what you are being grateful for.
On the other hand. If you are in a state of wishful thinking although it's not completely negative it surly isn't empowering. Wishful thinking takes your personal responsibility/power to make the changes in your life and places them in the hands of the unknown with no connection to it. With wishful thinking all you're doing is focusing on what you don't have. There is no connection to any greater power and you leave yourself in a state of lack on a deserted island.
This is not to be confused with having faith in something. Having faith in something is knowing that there is something greater taking care of what you need. However having faith still puts you in a position of connectivity to the greater source. For example: If your faith is in "god" you may believe that "god" will provide and it is out of your hands. But at least you have a connection with a higher element. If there was no connection how then would your higher element be able to hear your prayer? Faith is also knowing that if you get done with what you're supposed to do then the higher power will provide. I really like that idea because it goes along with the saying "god helps those who help them self."
If you believe in a higher power or not being grateful helps put you in a positive state of mind and allows your mental vibrations to be tuned into receptive vibrations. Even if you do not believe in a higher power, gratitude will motivate you into some sort of action so that you can go and get more of what you are being grateful for. This is often done by repeating what you did that got you what you're being grateful for. Honestly I think if a person is being grateful then they have to see them self in some relationship with a higher source. Otherwise who or what are you being grateful to?
Even at the lowest of the low I believe there is always something to be grateful for. Build from the most simple of things. "Wow, I am alive, I am grateful to be breathing etc." In my meditations I go through a list of what I am grateful for. Starting with my life, the process of living, that I am breathing, my health, home, family, friends, love, monetary possessions etc. Then I like to have fun with it. Since I believe that I am a creator of my personal reality I visualize the moments in my life when things were manifested pretty much the way that I wanted them. Even if it came in an unexpected way I relive the experience playing out the events that took place for this enjoyable moment to happen. Doing this strengthens your ability as a creator to keep manifesting these experiences that you're grateful for.
