Sometimes these thoughts will be dark. Even the purest of hearts seem to be not above “cusswords” when it comes to this part of the process. The conflict over feeling our gratitude, it seems, takes us to where our vile feelings reside. In one of my classes, a woman wrote about her sincere gratitude for her children, and immediately the thought came to her, “The noisy little bastards!” That’s what I mean about these thoughts sometimes being vile. Underneath that reaction was this woman’s hurt inner child who became insecure every time her real children acted out. Get all your thoughts on the page so that you can work with them. As I do my Journal, I simply put my “flipped” thoughts in brackets. If you have trouble doing the Journal or if you start a Journal and quit after a few days, investigate your resistance. Know that your unresolved issues are interfering (and winning)! When we attempt to feel gratitude and experience interference, our “failure” is a warning that something needs attention. This is how The Universal Mirror works. (In my new book, Journey to the God Space, (out soon!) I will demonstrate how to use the shamanic journey process to work with and resolve the “flip” issues that the Gratitude Journal process identifies. When you get the Journal process going, pay attention to the changes that occur, especially within yourself. Watch how your feelings shift. Although the process is often bumpy, it has also been deeply enriching for those who have done it. How different our world would be if we would find the courage and take the time to express our gratitude! How joyful life would become if we could tell people how much we loved them and how grateful we are that they are in our lives! As I walk city streets or shop, I observe people to see how many of them seem to be happy. Sadly, there aren’t many.