“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough” Meister Eckhart

Taking a moment in your busy day to stop and appreciate that the sun has risen on yet another day, that you are alive and able hug your partner. That is gratitude.

To feel sad that your friend never returns your calls or makes an effort to connect, then realise that frees up more time to spend with your family. That is also gratitude.

Being grateful changes the processing of your thought. If things don’t go according to plan you adapt quickly and process experiences differently.

Gratitude for me is an expression of thanks, a feeling of appreciation and acknowledging everything that you receive- both good and bad.  It is a state of being that is essential to a life well lived and a feeling of fulfilment.

The more we practise gratitude, the more we change our mind- set and when confronted with an incident or must overcome an obstacle we immediately acknowledge the balance in that moment. The daily practise of gratitude keeps the heart open regardless of what comes our way.

Gratitude is a choice that we make- we can choose to either be grateful or not.

My friend Melinda has a gratitude jar and every time she experiences a moment she writes it on a piece of paper and puts it in the jar. At the start of every year she opens the jar and reviews and remembers all her meaningful moments.

I write a few sentences in a journal every night. I start with the words;

I am grateful for…

I had the opportunity to…

In the words of educator and personal development specialist Dr Demartini, “If you count your blessings and are grateful for what happens to you, you will experience more blessings to be grateful for. This is a simple principle, yet it has the power to change your life.”

He also said “Count your blessings each night and end your day with thanks.  Faster that any state of mind, gratitude can transform stress into success.  It provides a mental rocket-ship ride to the next inspiring experience in your life.” 

Start each day with a grateful heart.