5 Simple Ways to Gratitude

What better time to be grateful and give thanks for what we have in our lives than in November. Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks and having gratitude for what we have. It shouldn't be just one day a year, it should be every day, every meal. It's so easy to complain and focus on what we don't have. I think it becomes a habit for some people. I do believe that it is a learned trait and it can be turned around to seeing the glass half full instead of half empty. Here are some simple ways you and your family can become more positive by showing gratitude for all the amazing blessings you have.

1.  Every time you catch yourself saying something negative, cancel it and replace it with a positive.

2.  At bedtime, don't count sheep, count your blessings. I go through the alphabet and list a person or thing that starts with that letter that I was grateful for that day. Example...A is for arm balance that I mastered today or B is for that yummy broccoli I made for dinner and got my son to eat!

3.  Gratitude circle. My family and I get in a circle and say what we are grateful for, what we acknowledge in ourselves and each person in the circle. It is an amazing tool to connect with your family, especially in our busy lives. It always brings us back to our hearts and someone always ends up crying...happy tears.

4.  Journal what you are grateful for everyday. Start with obvious things like, the roof over my head or the job that helps me support my family.

5.  Prayer. Being thankful before you eat. It's also a way to connect your family and make everyone present. I am a big believer in prayer and have never missed a prayer at bedtime. It's my time to connect and check in with myself and the universe and simply have gratitude for my day. Share these tools with your family and start to incorporate them into your every day lives. You will start to notice the shift in you and your family's life when you simply start appreciating all the blessings right in front of you.

* Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.- Melody Beattie