Thank you for being a friend!

Thank you is a common phrase.  We say it all the time.  Two very simple words. Simple words that have the power to change your life!

Right now I want you to take a few moments close your eyes and think about all of the things you are grateful for.  Really picture them in your mind don’t just make a list.  Think about why you are grateful for these things or people.  Why are they important to you?  What difference have they made in your life?

How did you feel when you did this?  More or less stress? Did thinking about these things bring a smile to your face?  Did your shoulders relax?  What feelings were brought to your heart?

Gratitude though a simple practice is a great form of self care.

Why?  By cultivating gratitude we are able to really see all of the blessings we have in our lives.  There are so many ways that we can incorporate gratitude into our lives.  Instead of throwing out a quick thank you to someone that helped us;  really focus on them and say thank you.  Is there someone that has really blessed your life?  Write them a letter of thanks.  How great would it be to get something in the mail other than bills?  Focus on the people in your life.  Find one specific thing each day you can thank them for.  (Not just “you’re awesome” find something specific!)

One way that I incorporate gratitude in my life is through my tender mercies journal.  Each night I write one thing that happened that day that I am grateful for or was a tender mercy or blessing from the Lord.  Each night I get to stop for a few minutes at the end of the day to think about the good that has happened.  I tend to focus too much on the negative.  Writing in my tender mercies journal is helping to retrain my brain to focus on the good instead.

And you don’t just have to take my word for how good gratitude is for you.  The Great Good Science center at Berkeley has an entire section focused on gratitude. (They have lots of other stuff too.  I highly recommend this site!)

Start today really focusing on the things you are grateful for.  Because just like a microscope the things you focus on become bigger!