The Gratitude Toll

I very often see rants, complaints, wishes and dreams that have a similar theme, and that theme goes something like this:

"Here is my dream and here is what I have been able to do, but I can't seem to get any further and it feels like I've hit a brick wall. No matter what I do, I can't seem to bring more (customers, gigs, sales, days, money, friends, etc.) in to support this dream. I don't want to drop it but I feel I might have to in order to make ends meet (or, conversely, the ends aren't meeting and I can't drop this because this is all I have/know/want to do) and so on. Help!"

This is a wicked bad situation to be in, I know, but I think I may have at least a partial idea on how to move forward. Basically you are hitting a spiritual and emotional brick wall, a very real one, and it is what I call the "Gratitude Toll".

Huh? Yeah, the Gratitude Toll. Read on.

Too many of us set out on a dream and start to do the things we need to do to achieve it. But our first successes, being the anemic weaklings they usually are (and cannot actually be expected not to be, given our inexperienced nature), often do more to antagonize us and torture us when held up to the light of their brilliantly glowing parent-dreams, than to persuade us that we are on our way. We see what little we have accomplished, and how far we have yet to go - not only to make our dreams come true but even just to make the whole process self-supporting and us-supporting. We wail and despair and fling ourselves into the work with desperate abandon - but to no avail. We've hit a wall. Despite our most determined efforts, our most energetic marketing, our perfectly engineered whatzit, our professionally designed website (not to mention our blood, sweat and tears), nothing progresses. We get no further than we already have. WHY????

Simple - because we haven't paid the Gratitude Toll. The universe will give us anything we want (in some measure or another), but it reserves the headiest successes and fortune for those who know to recognize those brick walls for the toll booths that they are - a sign that it is time to pay the toll of appreciation for what we have been given and express our gratitude for our successes, such as they are, before we can move on.

True, we often think that what we do have - a handful of toys that we can't sell, a website that gets less traffic than a dead-end road, an idea that no one is buying into, a passion that is withering on the vine - is hardly worth cheering over. But we must! We must express our thanks for any little bit we have gotten, and we must learn to willingly adopt the attitude that whatever the universe sends our way, however small in our eyes, deserves thanks and celebration. And (this is very important) we must learn to accept the fact that not only may this be all we get, but that we must learn to be happy with it should that be the case.

Oooh. Dead silence. "But, I don't want to be happy with just this," you say. "How can I be? It's not even paying the bill for the brochures I printed to advertise it! It's barely more than nothing!" And that may be true, but you must be grateful for what you have been given and prepared to accept it as your gift, en toto, before the universe will give you more!

You see, like a child who complains about a not-quite-perfect Christmas gift, our Divine Parent is often loathe to squander the Universe's blessings on those who are not capable of being happy with what they already have. I don't blame Him/Her. Do you?

If you offer someone an inch, and they are so unhappy that they bitch and whine about not getting a mile, how likely are you to give them more? NOT! So pay your toll. Be grateful and satisfied with what you have. And it has to be real, too - you can't just go through the motions. Trust me on this folks, if anyone can catch you faking it, God can!

But do it right and before you know it the Universe (being well pleased with your attitude of gratitude) will deem you worthy of even more blessings. And more. And more. And even more, far beyond your wildest dreams of more. Those who get the greatest blessings out of life, if you pay close enough attention to see, are often those who would be - and have been - just as happy with far, far less.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Soni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of sonipitts.com. She specializes in helping others reclaim "soul proprietorship" in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them.

She is the author of the free e-book "50 Ways To Reach Your Goals" and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.

licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.

The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

The Gratitude Toll

Spirituality