The Power of Gratitude

For almost two years now I’ve started my day off the same way.  I write down three things I’m grateful for.  I’ve found it to be incredibly powerful in shifting my attitude to being positive first thing in the morning and I find I am more likely to stay that way throughout the day.

With the passing of Canadian Thanksgiving, and reflecting on all that I’m thankful for, I felt like sharing this daily practice that has impacted my life in a big way since I implemented it.

I was definitely skeptical of it at first, but at the advice of a friend I committed to doing it every day for three weeks and I haven’t stopped since.  It is so easy to take things (and people) for granted and so actively shifting myself into a mindset of gratitude helps to remind me of all the good in my life and how lucky I am; even when things don’t always go how I hope.  Most often my list is comprised of friends and family, but sometimes it’s small things: the bacon I’m going to eat later that morning or even having some time alone at the start of my day, as just two examples.

Since I started doing this a lot of incredible things have happened in my life.  It hasn’t been all good – life is never short on its disappointments, and its trials and tribulations, but I have found that beginning each morning by choosing an attitude of gratitude has allowed me to roll with the punches and find the positive in negative situations far easier.