You’ll find several books on Gratitude in the “Personal Development” sections of most bookstores. There’s a reason for that – gratitude works. If you wake up every day and feel miserable, you’re probably going to have a miserable day. Now, waking up each day feeling grateful for all the good things in your life won’t guarantee that you’ll have a great day. But at least you’ll start out on the right foot.

Attitude Matters:

Let’s skip the studies and the new age BS and get to why your Attitude Matters. Walk around your workplace with a smile on your face and you’ll get a different reaction from the people around you than you would if you walked around with a frown. Complaining constantly and acting like the world is about to come to an end also negatively impacts how you’ll be perceived and treated. This is why prayer works for so many people.

Think about the first person you’ll come into contact with after reading this. They may ask you how you are or what’s up. If you answer by saying “I’m surviving” or “good” but not being sincere, they’ll just ignore you and move on. Instead, try “I’m great, and it was nice of you to ask” and then tell them something you appreciate about them (assuming you know them), your interaction will change drastically. Anyone can answer “good” so try to stand out in a positive way.

Take three minutes:

Start your day (or end it) by listing out three things you’re grateful for. I started doing this a month ago and it’s helped me significantly.  It won’t take you three minutes, at least not after a few days. You can also list more than three – I’ll often list five or more.

This helps you realize that there are good things in your life. It helps your mind focus on the positive. For better results, do it both at the beginning and end of your day. If you’re struggling to find things to be thankful for, here are some ideas:

• Your spouse or significant other and what they bring into your life.
• The view you wake up to each morning.
• Your parents for the sacrifices they’ve made for you or for giving you guidance.
• A song that puts you in a good mood.
• Your creator for giving you life and guidance.
• Your children for making you smile or proud.
• A joke that you recently heard that made you smile.
• Your family and friends for being there when you need them.
• A particular skill or ability that you have.
• Your employer and/or coworkers.
• The fact that you woke up today (remember, not everyone does).
• Your pets.
• Your abilities and judgement.
• The fact that you came across this post – will you try it out?

My challenge to you

Make a commitment to try this out for the next seven days. You can pick the beginning of the day, the end of the day or whatever works for you. Just do it and let me know how it works out for you in the comments.

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