THE DAILY RECIPE FOR A HAPPIER LIFE

A few days ago, as the hubby and I were driving, I was complaining to him about all the reasons why I feel like a big ball of failure despite all the hard work and effort I’ve put into my work projects all these years. I still feel like I have nothing to show for it. And without skipping a beat, he started enumerating the many blessings I was overlooking in my life. And you know what? In the manner he presented his rebuttal, it quickly shifted my mindset in that moment and made me realize that he was right. (Yes, honey, I said it. “You were right.” Relish in this moment, because it may never happen again. Ha!) I am blessed – something that although I know, I sometimes tend to lose sight of. That’s when I realized I needed to get back into a daily and weekly practice I stopped doing – taking the time to write down things I’m grateful for every day. I know taking as little as 5-10 minutes a day to write down what I’m grateful for can help me be more optimistic (something I struggle with) and reduces negativity, which is a huge reason for me to get back to making acts of gratitude a daily habit. As imperfect beings living in a world full of noise and distractions, it’s very easy to forget all the positive, satisfying things in our lives.

It’s been said: “Energy flows where attention goes.” When you sit down and think about what you’re grateful for at least once a day, you begin to recognize and prioritize the things that are most important which results in having more clarity and joy. Another huge benefit to this too is that you find when you’re grateful for what you have, it alleviates the desire of always wanting more. And let’s face it, always wanting more is a never-ending cycle that doesn’t stop nor does it bring true satisfaction. You never get to be happy because you’re always chasing the next thing.

In my stories recently, I asked: “when are you most happy?” It was delightful to read the responses. For me, I’m most happy when snuggling ‘couch time’ comes at the end of the day to watch movies and/or our favorite DVR’d shows with my hubby or getting dolled up for an intimate dinner date night out at one of our favorite speakeasy restaurants.

These days, I feel like we’re all so busy talking about what we want that we forget to feel grateful for what we already have. Creating such a simple daily gratitude practice as part of a self-care routine is the daily recipe for a happier life for it can help you flourish, increase your level of happiness and align your thoughts and desires to help you have a more positive mindset, even changing how you look at an entire day and/or your life in general.

Starting today, list three things you’re thankful for every day, either every morning before starting your day or every night before you go to sleep. Eventually, it will become second nature. Don’t ever forget the power of the pen!

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