Gratitude seems like a weak word, but it has more power than most of us realize.

It's one of the most effective tools at fighting depression. After living with chronic depression for over 30 years, and having defeated that beast, I attribute a portion of my victory from the practice of being consciously grateful on a daily basis.

If you're depressed, or just going through a rough day, list ten (or even just three) aspects of your life that you are grateful for. Repeat as often as necessary. Some days I would make a "list of 10", multiple times a day.

Gratitude can also be a great tool for manifestation. Whether you're in a good mood or not, reality can shift in your favor with just a few steps.

1. Determine what it is that you want.

This may take some time and energy as you need to get to the core. For example, let us say that your answer was "money", or "increased income", or "to win the lottery". No one really wants money. If you were living alone on an island, and a crate of currency washed ashore, it would be useless. What people really want are what money can bring. For some people this is security, for others it's freedom, to others it is power, etc, etc. This process may be similar to peeling an onion, stripping away layers until you've reached the center.

The same can be said for other desires, like "to lose weight", "to own property", "to be in love". These are higher level expressions of deeper, more basic, desires.

2. After identifying a core desired state, determine where that state-of-being is in your life already.

Let's say you identified a core desire for "freedom". What aspects of your life already embody freedom? They may be small and few, but they are there. The more you focus on the existing aspect of your core desire, the more it will manifest in your life.

3. Be thankful for that state-of-being that already exists in your life AND be thankful for that state-of-being in your future existence.

For example, "I am thankful for my good health." and "I am thankful that my health is improving." Another example, "I am thanful for the secure home I have now, and thankful for the security I feel in a home that I own." (even though you may not own a home now)

Take Action!

Reply with some things you are thankful for. A "bonus round" would be to reply with a core-desire, and how you discovered it.