Gratitude

Your card today flipped out of the 'Divine Guidance' fractal art deck, authored by Cheryl Lee Harnish.  Your card is the 'Gratitude' card, and Cheryl Lee's message for the card is this:
"Gratitude is a very powerful energy which can open both the heart and mind to all the wondrous blessings we are given.  Take time each and every day to offer your deepest, heartfelt gratitude for all that you have and are given.  Make a conscious effort to look for all the good that is flowing into your life.  Send your love to all those you cherish and love.  Your acknowledgement of the Divine flow, that supports and provides for you, opens your energy in a powerful way.  You will become your own bright Light..."

My message for you today is this:
I have expressed many times in your daily card readings that 'the Universe loves gratitude' and how being in the energy of gratitude is actually powerful manifestation energy. The age-old adage, "Count your blessings", has stood the test of time for good reason!  
When my 3 children were young, (around 7, 9 and 11, I  believe) I remember being frustrated with their sense of 'entitlement' at one period in time...it seemed that they were complaining often about why they couldn't have or do this or that.  I determined that they write in a gratitude journal each night...they had to write 3 things they were grateful for that day...in an effort to shift their perspective from 'why can't/don't I?' to 'I feel grateful'.  I still enjoy reading those journals when I come across them.  Of course, there were those entries saying, 'I am grateful that my mom & dad love me' and such.  But there were also those entries that showed that they had given thought such as, 'I am grateful that, even though we lost our play-off hockey game today, I scored a sweet goal and I won the 'Heart and Hustle' award'.
We ALL need reminders to 'count our blessings' at times...that is just part of the human experience...and the truth is that there are definitely those life circumstances where it can be VERY difficult to find the blessings within a situation.  Still, the Divine wants you to know that it is important to reach for the energy of GRATITUDE when you are able, even if it is in a small way, so that you can allow the Universe to assist you in manifesting what you desire.
You can always find SOMETHING to be grateful for...consciously strive to focus upon that, rather than the 'lack'.  Witness how the energy of gratitude sincerely raises your vibration and thereby attracts good into your life!
Blessed be...