Gratitude Challenge by Bill Gisclair-Sullivan, SWIHA Mind-Body Transformational Psychology Graduate

When we talk about gratitude, we are talking about the act of truly being thankful. Thankful for the blessings we have in life -- the simple pleasures, the gifts of nature, health, happiness, family, friends, etc.

Gratitude shifts our focus from what we want to what we have.

It allows us to look at the ready abundance of all that is great in our lives. When we are truly grateful there is a profound change in our attitude towards life. Truly giving thanks makes us happier, healthier, and more resilient. It makes our relationships stronger and improves our overall health by reducing stress in our lives.

We all sometimes take for granted, the little things in our lives. The things someone else would and have given their lives for: freedom, food, a place to live, an education, a bed to sleep in, clothes on our backs, etc. What about simple things others don't have like sight, touch, smell, and hearing? I know most of us just take those things for granted. Just for a second, imagine your life without them. Think how your life would change and then you will truly be thankful.

We should find gratitude in everything…

…Even if something doesn't go your way. For instance, you are skipped over for that promotion you thought you were getting. Shouldn't you still be grateful for the job you have? There are millions of people around the world without one. Put what you perceive as a failure in proper perspective and you will be grateful.

Gratitude Challenge

I challenge you to do an exercise in gratitude every day. Find one simple thing in your life that you are truly grateful for. Make it a simple thing -- not like your big screen TV or your car – rather find that small thing you feel gratitude toward. Write it down, study it, and then put it in your pocket. Throughout the day, look at that piece of paper and imagine your life without that one thing. At the end of the day, I want you to save that piece of paper in a drawer, in a book or somewhere it won’t be misplaced. The next day start again. Choose another thing you are grateful for and follow the same steps. At the end of the week, lay all of your pieces of paper on a table and count them, read them aloud... realizing that you are literally counting your blessings. Repeat this week after week for as long as you can. It will put everything in perspective as you carry on this tiny, simple little project.

Life offers us amazing gifts.

We have a passion for life and love. Unlike any other creature on earth we are blessed with the gift to want to be better, to learn and grow, to experience happiness, and to love others. We are all connected by an inner light and if we all just stop with the pettiness and truly learn to appreciate the gift of life and each other, we can be happy, healthy, and wealthy for the rest of our days.

Gratitude should not be a reaction to getting what you want, rather it should be the act of embracing the little things. The hand of a loved one, a flower in the garden, the taste of a pear, waking up to a new day -- these are things truly worth being thankful for. Without the little things to be grateful for, what use are the big things?

Start today!

Instead of waiting for that positive experience to happen to be grateful for, start bringing gratitude to every little thing in your life. Your life and attitude will change forever!