Practicing Gratitude

We have a lot to be thankful for, and the more we focus on gratitude the happier and more peaceful we become. There are many tools and techniques you can use to focus on gratitude. This is one of my favorites. Every night make a list of five things for which you are thankful. Often it is useful to focus on small things: “I am grateful that my friend trusts me enough to confide in me; that my hair looked good today; that I can afford fancy vegetables; that my friend’s baby was born healthy; that my house is warm.”  The more specific, the better.  Another approach is to notice the things that frustrated you during the day and look for an aspect of that situation that you appreciate.  If you have a boss who micromanages and drives you nuts, you can focus on being grateful that you have a job or that the secretary gave you a cookie.  If you became angry at the crazy driver who cut you off, you can be grateful that no one was injured.   As an added bonus, you can email your list daily to a group of friends.