How a daily gratitude practice can transform and improve your life.
What do Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama, Shakespeare, and Einstein all have in common? They all practiced gratitude, and their achievements put them among the greatest humans to ever live.
Nothing has changed my life more than committing to a daily gratitude practice. Every day, I write down at least three things I’m grateful for, and my coaching clients start their own gratitude lists from day one.
“What we pay attention to grows stronger.”
For example, I’m grateful for all the farm workers that harvest the produce I consume, the drivers who transport that to the distribution centers, the warehouse workers, grocery store clerks, cashiers, cleaning crews, and everyone else who makes my lifestyle possible.
Do you remember the last time you got a new car? Maybe you got on the freeway and started noticing the same car as the one you just got? Those cars were always there; you just weren’t aware of them because your attention was elsewhere. The same thing is true of gratitude. Where our attention goes, energy flows. What we pay attention to grows stronger. When we look for things to be grateful for, we draw more gratitude into our life.
Here’s the best part: Science shows that people who practice gratitude are 25% happier and more optimistic. They sleep 30 minutes longer on average, exercise 33% more every week, feel better about their lives, get sick less often, make better progress toward their goals, and have more energy and focus.
I encourage you to start your own gratitude practice for the next 21 days, which is how long it takes to make a new habit. You’ll see how much gratitude will transform your life. It’s the little things done over and over that create transformation.
If you have any questions or want to share what you’re grateful for, call or email me. I’d love to hear from you.
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