Gratitude is the one, single emotion that can change your life from suffering to bliss in an instant, yet very few people use this powerful tool. It is not difficult to discover the beauty of gratitude. In a state of gratitude, the brain releases “happy chemicals.” Once this happens, it is impossible for the brain to be happy and unhappy at the same time.
Each night before you go to sleep take just a few minutes to list five to ten things that you are humbly grateful for: clothes, a roof, food, health, family, the list can go on. Everyone has something to be grateful for. Take that quiet time to yourself and give thanks for those things in your life. As you progress, you may want to keep a gratitude journal (there is added power in writing them down) or you may want to use this practice throughout your day. Some people write them on the back of a business card and keep them in their wallet for a reminder when needed.
What most people forget is that finding something to be grateful for is not hard. Sometimes people will say to me “Kelly, you don’t understand. I just lost my job, my spouse is leaving me, the bank is foreclosing, my kids won’t talk to me, my life is a dumpster fire.” My repose is that I don’t need to know you, your story, or your history. I can still find 100 things for you to be grateful for today. If I can find 100, you can certainly find 200.
Take a moment. Close your eyes at the end of the day and start with the small things: You have clothes to wear. You ate something today. The sun came up this morning. You woke for a reason. You are loved. You are someone’s hero (even if you don’t know it.) There are many more. Find just a couple to focus on at first. Find them every day and your days will change.
Live with love, live with passion.
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