All too often, Thanksgiving is reduced to the simple observance of customs. We gather with certain people, eat certain foods, and hurry back to the important business of our lives. The familiar rituals come first, and if there`s any energy left over, we give a thought or two to the things we`re grateful for.

What`s so bad about that, you ask? Nothing at all! Thanksgiving is still a wonderful, relaxing day. For many of us, it`s the beginning of a four-day weekend. We spend time with our families, eat well, and take life at a slower pace—if only for a day or two.

But unless we tune into what Thanksgiving is all about, we`re selling ourselves short. Gratitude is, after all, one of the most powerful psychic forces in the cosmos. The more we bring it into our lives, the more enriched and happy we become. And since we have a special day set aside to recognize this amazing force, why not take full advantage?

What Gratitude Does

Some of the most pointed words ever written about gratitude are attributed to the Chinese mystic Lao Tzu. He wrote: "Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the world belongs to you."

Gratitude is the opposite of wanting more, of discontent, of feeling like there is not enough to go around. A truly grateful person takes nothing for granted, and is happy with the blessings they do enjoy. When a person rejoices in the way things are, as Lao Tzu puts it, the world is suddenly at their feet. It bestows more blessings upon them. While discontent breeds frustration, gratitude breeds abundance and joy.

Finding gratitude is sometimes easy and sometimes tricky. It involves deep reflection and honesty about what really matters in life. This is why the universe rewards gratitude so generously: it lightens the burden for everyone, and makes the world a better place.

Riding the Gratitude Wave

Psychic energy is not a series of isolated individual units. It is a huge, sprawling network in which everything and everyone shares a connection, whether immediate or remote. So when more people are focused on the energy of gratitude, it changes the vibration of the network. The energy of gratitude is amplified!

Think of it like a giant wave rising up from the swells of the ocean. As the wave travels, it becomes more and more powerful. In this way, when you focus your thoughts on gratitude during Thanksgiving, you ride a powerful wave of gratitude that is flowing and cresting in the psychic world. This means your gratitude-based thoughts and intentions will go further. They will touch more lives and come back to you in more meaningful ways.

Gratitude Meditation

When you wake up this Thanksgiving morning, set aside fifteen minutes for gratitude. Do nothing but sit quietly and look for gratitude within yourself. Maybe you`re sitting with your eyes closed, taking in the sunrise, or watching birds at the feeder. Either way, what you`re looking for is not merely a surface gratitude for the food and clothes and shelter you have (although it`s good to give thanks for those things, too). You`re looking for a deeper and more soulful gratitude. A gratitude of wonder for being alive in such an amazing universe, for having the chance to live life and grow, and for the interconnectedness of all living things.

These fifteen minutes can set the tone for deeper, more meaningful Thanksgiving holiday—and if you practice gratitude meditations regularly, you`ll be amazed by what life comes back with. Gratitude, like love, is part of the language of the soul. When you find it on a profound level, the little things are all the more precious. Now that`s something worth celebrating!