Through his ground breaking research exposing water to music, freezing it and photographing the ice formed, Japanese scientist Dr Masaru Emoto has shown that beautiful thoughts, words and intentions produce beautiful crystals while negativity results in malformation and ugliness. (The Hidden Messages in Water)

Since the human body is approximately 70% water, there is a lot to be said for cultivating a more harmonious way of being in the world. Emoto's work also tells us that the transformational power of gratitude is up there with love.

What then is gratitude and why is it so powerful?

According to a leading scientific expert on gratitude, Robert Emmons, gratitude is an affirmation of goodness coupled with recognition that this goodness comes from outside our selves. (Why Gratitude is Good)

Legendary coach Julio Olalla puts it more poetically.

When people are grateful, I appreciate it and the gratitude goes to something much bigger than myself… gratitude is always a wonderful step to humility. And when I say thank you, truly I surrender to something larger.

(Charles Eisenstein Podcast A Story of Gratitude (E05) - A New And Ancient Story)

Gratitude lifts us out of the small self, our sense of separation and connects us with something greater.

Ultimately, like love, the beauty of gratitude is that it belongs to the Mystery.