5 Simple Ways To Boost Your Gratitude

      Cleaning out the garage, I stumbled upon these deck of cards that a friend sent me as a gift probably 6 years ago. It's something how everything is about timing.  At the time, I wasn’t ready to receive the information.  My mind was closed to anything that seemed “self-helpy”.  My husband and I joke now at how I went from a “no self help book policy" to now I can’t go too long without having some kind of self help book in arms reach (Currently, I am reading The Me Project by Kathi Lipp)

      The current card that caught my attention is Appreciate Everything and Everyone:  Look upon every experience you’ve ever had, and everyone who’s ever played any role in your life, as having been sent to you for your benefit. In this universe, which was created by a divine, organizing intelligence, there are simply NO accidents. - Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

       I realize now that it was no accident 8 years ago when I received my rejection letter from Temple University’s Doctorate program in Urban Education.  I was devastated.  It was one of the very few times in my life that I felt like I FAILED! I was crushed.  I read the letter over and over again.  I was in total disbelief.  Did they really just tell me, “No!?!”  No was just not a word I was used to hearing.

      Fast forward…And I have learned to appreciate that particular “no".  God had another plan for me and a Doctorate degree was not a part of it. The financial burden of pursuing a Doctorate degree at that time would have made transitioning to a Stay-at-Home Mom later much more difficult and caused a strain on the marriage with an already reluctant-to-the-idea husband.  So today, I can say I am grateful for the "no" and I am learning to see the blessings behind other "no’s” that come up in my life.  If gratitude has not become a habit in your life, it can be hard. But you can increase your gratitude.

Here are 5 simple ways you can boost your gratitude in the midst of things seemingly not going your way:

1. REFLECT - At the end of each day spend some time thinking about 3 things you are thankful for that day. Reflecting on the positive takes the attention away from all the things that went wrong in your day which will increase your gratitude.

2. READ -  Surround yourself by others' grateful thoughts.  I just finished reading, The Gratitude Journal by Russ Terry. Reading the reasons why other people are thankful sparks thoughts of gratitude in you too.

3. WRITE - A simple thank you note goes a long way.  It increases gratefulness in you and the receiver.  Plus to the receiver, it’s a gift that keeps on giving.  Whenever I stumble across an old thank you note, I feel that sense of gratitude again as if it was the first time I read it.

4. VISUALIZE - Place visual cues in places you frequent to remind you to be grateful. I’m not sure where I heard this but I have it posted on my bathroom mirror, “Gratitude is a muscle you have to exercise. What am I grateful for today?"

5. GO PUBLIC - Let others know why you are grateful. Have you noticed the Facebook Challenge where people have to list 3 reasons they are thankful for 7 days? It’s a great example of going public.  Writing out why you’re thankful increases your gratitude and it helps increase the reader’s gratitude as well.

     We all can strive to have an attitude of gratitude as a way of life and learn to appreciate everything and everyone.  Try implementing one of the simple ways to boost your gratitude and comment on how it has changed your gratitude level in your life.  Also comment with any other ways that you know to increase gratitude.  Let’s make this journey together :-)

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