GRATITUDE

I hope you had a Thanksgiving filled with blessings acknowledged. Once the holiday is over, however, we often go back to taking our blessings for granted. I encourage you to continue acknowledging your blessings on a daily basis.

Some people like to keep a gratitude journal, as was encouraged by Oprah several years ago. If you don't have time to do this, I encourage you to set aside a regular time of day to mentally review your blessings. A good time to do this is at night before you go to sleep. You can do some relaxation and mentally review the good things that happened that day and/or the blessings in your life.

I generally start my day in prayer, the first part of which is giving thanks for the blessings in my life. I include some blessings that we take for granted in the United States, such as our freedom to make our own choices and the safety we are provided by not having the daily fear of bombs and war all around us. The next part of my prayer is asking for the specific blessings I request for the people in my life (myself included) and specific people/situations around the world. If for some reason my day's routine doesn't allow for this activity at the beginning of my day, I incorporate it at the earliest time possible. This may mean turning off the music in my car and reviewing my blessings as I drive.

Even if you do not use prayer as part of your routine, acknowledging your blessings is a beneficial habit to establish. It is one technique for maintaining a positive attitude and thus is an important tool for managing stress. Start the habit today and continue daily through Thanksgiving of 2010 and every year thereafter. To help establish this activity as a habit, keep track of your progress by making a mark on your calendar each day you give thanks. If you miss a day, be gentle and kind and forgive yourself as you develop your new habit.

If you have difficulty thinking of blessings in your life, start by giving thanks for those things we have that we take for granted. This will vary from individual to individual but could be having your eyesight, hearing, being able to walk or get out of the house, having shelter and clothing, and so on.

Have a blessed day and then give thanks for it.