many people believe that they will be happy once they arrive at some specific goal they set for themselves. however, more often than not, once you arrive " there" you will still feel dissatisfied, and move your " there" vision to yet another point in the future. by always chasing after another "there," you are never really appreciating what you already have right "here." it is important for human beings to keep soberminded about the age-old drive to look beyond the place where you now stand. on one hand, your life is enhanced by your dreams and aspirations. on the other hand, these drives can pull you farther and farther from your enjoyment of your life right now. by learning the lessons of gratitude and abundance, you can bring yourself closer to fulfilling the challenge of living in the present.

gratitude

to be grateful means you are thankful for and appreciative of what you have and where you are on your path right now. gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path. as you strive to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience the full wonder of "here."

there are many ways to cultivate gratitude. here are just a few suggestions you may wish to try:

1. imagine what your life would be like if you lost all that you had. this will most surely remind you of how much you do appreciate it.

2. make a list each day of all that you are grateful for, so that you can stay conscious daily of your blessings. do this especially when you are feeling as though you have nothing to feel grateful for. or spend a few minutes before you go to sleep giving thanks for all that you have.

3. spend time offering assistance to those who are less fortunate than you, so that you may gain perspective.

however you choose to learn gratitude is irrelevant. what really matters is that you create a space in your consciousness for appreciation for all that you have right now, so that you may live more joyously in your present moment.

abundance

one of the most common human fears is scarcity. many people are afraid of not having enough of what they need or want, and so they are always striving to get to a point when they would finally have enough.

alan and linda always dreamed of living "the good life." both from poor working-class families, they married young and set out to fulfill their mutual goal of becoming wealthy. they both worked very hard for years, amassing a small fortune, so they could move from their two-bedroom home to a palatial seven-bedroom home in the most upscale neighborhood. they focused their energies on accumulating all the things they believed signified abundance: membership in the local exclusive country club, luxury cars, designer clothing, and high-class society friends. no matter how much they accumulated, however, it never seemed to be enough. they were unable to erase the deep fear of scarcity both had acquired in childhood. they needed to learn the lesson of abundance. then the stock market crashed in 1987, and alan and linda lost a considerable amount of money. a bizarre but costly lawsuit depleted another huge portion of their savings. one thing led to another, and they found themselves in a financial disaster. assets needed to be sold, and eventually they lost the country club membership, the cars, and the house. it took several years and much hard work for alan and linda to land on their feet, and though they now live a life far from extravagant, they have taken stock of their lives and feel quite blessed. only now, as they assess what they have left -- a solid, loving marriage, their health, a dependable income, and good friends -- do they realize that true abundance comes not from amassing, but rather from appreciating.

scarcity consciousness arises as a result of the "hole-in-the-soul syndrome." this is when we attempt to fill the gaps in our inner lives with things from the outside world. but like puzzle pieces, you can't fit something in where it does not naturally belong. no amount of external objects, affection, love, or attention can ever fill an inner void. we already have enough, so we should revel in our own interior abundance.