The Gratitude Challenge

Living a life of gratitude allows us to be Thankful for the blessings we have: the simple pleasures, the gifts of nature, health, happiness, family, friends, etc.

When we live with Gratitude we shift our focus from what we want, to what we have. It allows us to look at the ready abundance of all that is great in our lives.

When we live gratefully there is a profound change in our attitude towards life. Giving thanks makes us happier, healthier and more resilient. It makes our relationships stronger and improves our overall health by reducing some stress in our lives.

The Challenge:
As we move forward in this week of gratitude, I challenge you to do this exercise every day.

Find one simple thing in your life that you are truly grateful for. Make it a simple thing, not your big screen, or your car, a small simple thing is what you are looking for, a thing you take for granted.

Once you find that small thing, write it down on a strip of paper, study it, then put it in your pocket. Throughout the day look at that piece of paper and imagine your life without that one thing. At the end of the day I want you to save that piece of paper in a drawer or book or something. The next day, start again, choosing another thing you are grateful for and follow the same steps.

At the end of the week lay all of your pieces of paper on a table and count them, read them aloud, then take a moment and realize...you are counting your blessings.

After you do this for a while it will put everything in perspective. Taking the time to have gratitude for the little things is an important part of being mindful.

Life offers us amazing gifts. Unlike any other creature on earth we are blessed with the gift to want to be better, to learn and grow, to experience happiness, and to love others.

We are all connected by an inner light and if we all just stop with the pettiness and learn to appreciate the gifts of life and each other, we can be happy, healthy, and wealthy for the rest of our days.

Gratitude should not be a reaction to getting what you want, it should be the act of embracing the little things. The hand of a loved one, a flower in the garden, the taste of a pear, waking up to a new day...these are things worth being thankful for.

Start today! Instead of waiting for that positive experience to happen to be grateful for, start bringing gratitude to every little thing in your life. Your life and attitude will change forever!

“If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart

Peace and Love,
BG