***I’m Grateful!

It feels so wonderful when everyone is in the holiday spirit, that recently I’ve started a new habit to keep that feeling around throughout the year. When someone asks me the traditional question, “How are you”, I smile and say, “I’m grateful!” Usually they are taken aback, as they are expecting me to just say, “Fine, thank you”. By saying “I’m grateful” out loud, so many good things happen. It is a constant reminder for me of the many blessings in my life for which I am very grateful. The side effects are also remarkable. The person who asked “How are you”, is now consciously thinking about my answer and being reminded of gratitude in their own life. I’ve had people literally stop what they’re doing, look at me, pause and tell me how awesome that answer is. Then they start sharing the things that they’re grateful for in their life, and instead of a complaint session, we share an attitude of gratitude. Being grateful shifts things. The principle at work here is the Law of Attraction- what you focus on grows. So, if you’re focusing on things for which you are grateful, more of that will come to you.nnThe best way to improve your life is to make gratitude a habit. My regular habit is to do a gratitude exercise each morning when I open my eyes. My list may include things like my husband, my children and family, our beloved dog, Koda, or our home, to very specific things like the new-fallen snow or the great evening with friends the night before. Right now our Global Hug Tour is right up there at the top of my list! I can’t help but smile at the abundance in every area of my life, and from that place, I’m ready to start my day. Nothing will create positive change in your life more than gratitude.nnAfter you’ve completed your Gratitude List, share the feeling of gratitude with others throughout the day. Gratitude is a way of tossing pebbles into the still water, creating multiple concentric circles, ripples that will eventually reach everyone. Because someone said, “I’m grateful for you”, I imagine the caregiver in a nursing home being happy and kind to her patients, the barista at the local coffee shop greeting everyone with a smile, the janitor where you work whistling as he passes by. We all have a significant impact on one another.nnWhen you share gratitude it is continually passed on to others. Your smile, your kindness will reach many. You will be the little pebble thrown into the pond of life and your ripples will grow exponentially through others. Realizing the impact we have on our fellow man makes me conscious of what kind of ripples I’ll create today. I choose to impact those around me so that happiness is what continues on and on and on, and I do it with the conscious practice of gratitude. I’m grateful for you! So why not:n- Start your day with your own gratitude listn- Practice it throughout your day by consciously focusing on what you are grateful forn- Share your gratitude with others by expressing appreciationn- When someone asks you how you are, tell them you’re grateful!n- Share the love by sending this message with others