Gratitude Isn’t a Feeling — It’s a Choice That Changes You (Find Out How!)

What first drew me to Science of Mind and Centers for Spiritual Living was the concept of metaphysics. Other spiritual paths didn't make sense to me. What we explore here — consciousness, how thought creates reality, among them — feels practical and aligned with what I inherently believe.

When we use the word God and similar language from traditional religion, for me, it's more symbolic. While we believe there are many paths to one truth (that we're ultimately connected to everything and everyone), our words are interchangeable, like spirit, universe, energy, wisdom, or higher self for what we call "the thing itself." It's the energy that makes up everything, the all that is. Mental gymnastics are easier here; the connotations from past religious upbringing are fewer.

I don't think I'm alone with this.

So when Rev. Pam Ninneman talks about the electromagnetic field we each vibrate within, and how expanding our frequency shifts what we notice and what we draw into our experience, it resonates.

When we talk about the Law of Attraction in Science of Mind, we’re talking about consciousness as cause – what we think and feel influences what we experience. It’s not the pop-culture version.

As Rev. Pam notes, choosing to look for the good, especially when we’re challenged, changes our experience. It opens us up. As she reminded us, choosing love and elevating our vibration is an intentional practice, not just a nice idea, that has real outcomes.

Gratitude, especially, is something we decide on. It’s not a mood we wait for. We can be in pain and still hold gratitude. I often say we can even find beauty in anguish, not because I want anguish to be my teacher again anytime soon, but because I know they can coexist. As Rev. Pam said, when we shift from what’s missing to what’s actually here, something softens. We widen. We remember that life leans toward wholeness.

Rev. Pam mentioned Eckhart Tolle’s perspective that gratitude is a form of aliveness - appreciating this moment, and then the next. Years ago, after listening to one of his recordings, I started a simple practice based on his suggestion: 60 seconds of mindfulness. I decided I’d do this every time I got into my car before turning the ignition. Just one minute. It transformed the energy of every drive, and more. (I even wrote a blog post about it for work!)

Rev. Pam also brought in Ernest Holmes’ teaching that feeling responds more quickly than any other mental attitude. Thought sets direction; feeling gives it form. And as she noted, Dr. Joe Dispenza’s work echoes the same principle: combine a clear intention with an elevated emotion like gratitude, and you shift your energetic field.

The brain doesn’t know the difference between a vividly held future and the present moment, which is why mental equivalents work. His first book You Are the Placebo may have a terrible title (IMHO), but as my intro to his work, the content aligns perfectly with Religious Science and stuck with me.

As Rev. Pam notes, Science of Mind, at its core, is a mental healing practice.

Community Notes

Last weekend’s Meaningful Movies brought about forty of us together for Bring Them Home. The post-screening discussion was thoughtful, heartfelt, and honest, exactly why we do these events. The film highlighted how many Native cultures understand everything as alive and interconnected through an energetic web. That understanding aligns closely with our philosophy. If you missed it, you can now watch it on PBS.

Looking Ahead

This Sunday, we welcome Rev. Judith Laxer, a self-defined modern mystic, priestess, author, and the founding Priestess of Gaia’s Temple, celebrating its 25th year. Judith brings humor, depth, ritual, and a grounded devotion to the Sacred Feminine. She’s spoken with us before, and she’s a delight. I know you’ll be glad you were there!

Judith closes our November theme of Gratitude, and perfectly sets us up for our December theme of Celebration, with her talk, An Invitation to Joy! It's been many years since she joined us at CSL Ballard; get ready for a mystical treat.

In Community

• Jingle Jam is coming up. If you’re contributing auction or raffle gifts, or volunteering, thank you. Volunteering is a great way to connect with each other outside of Sundays. And, I'm excited to roll in Divine Connections - a concept that's based on Divine Dining, a previous CSLB initiative - that I've wanted to move forward for a long time. (Not sure what these are? Ask me! Hint: It's another way to connect more personally.) Thanks to Bonnie Pasek for the idea to include it.

• Connection Cards are on the Connection Tree. Let us know what you need and what you have to offer, whether that’s time, talent, or simply the desire to connect. Brenda Campbell is coordinating.

• Meditation continues each Sunday at 10 a.m., an easy way to settle into gratitude before service.

As we move into the holiday season, I’m taking what Rev. Pam shared to heart — to look through the eyes of gratitude, to keep the door to love wide open, and to trust that every elevated thought and feeling shifts the world around us.

May we live from grace, raise our vibration, and notice the good, no matter what.