Becoming grateful means creating respect within.  Respect for yourself and what you have been given in life, and respect for others and their lives and choices.

You have so much to be grateful for.  To quote a friend, "Even if everything ended tonight, you can be grateful that you had today.  Seize the day."

It's easy to begin to live a grateful life.  We'll give you things you can do.  Pick one thing to focus on for a day or two, and then add another and another.  Notice how you're feeling as you progress.  Notice you level of happiness, peace and contentment increase. 

1. Daily Mediation and Thanks.

Being grateful begins by noticing life around us. Find a quiet place away from the everyday sounds of life.  Take a minute or two and begin to recognize and say thanks for the gifts you find important in life.

For example, here is a sample meditation.  "Thank you for my family.  The good health we've been given, the good life and good times we've had together.  The wonderful vacation we had to California.  The kids sure enjoyed that trip!  Thanks for the wonderful day today.  The sun, the wind, the rain, the air I breathe.   Thanks for taking care of me.    Thanks for lifting my spirits.  I feel so good.  Thanks for my spouse. He has a wonderful job and so many friends.  Thanks for all of our friends.  For Jim and Sue.  Thanks for the wonderful time we had last weekend.  Thanks for the wonderful new car that we're getting.  We will enjoy and appreciate it so much.  I know we are being taken care of.  I am so thankful for your care.  Thank you for tomorrow.  I know I'm going to have a great day."

You will find that this simple meditations like this will become very easy and uplifting.  I practice this exercise before sleeping and find my sleep to be very restful and energizing.

Now begin to notice your thoughts.

THE POWER OF THOUGHT

What You Think,
Becomes What You Say.

What You Say Becomes
What You Do And How You Act.

What You Do And How You Act,
Creates Your Habits.

Your Habits Create Your Destiny.

It helps to have a reminder to be gracious and give.  You can create one yourself by typing out an inspirational message on the computer and printing it out.  We have created some for you that you can download, print and place on a refrigerator or on a door to be a constant reminder of happy, gracious living.

2. Know When to Just Shut Up.

Notice yourself in conversation.  Watch how many times you place "I" in conversation. Don't be too hard on yourself.  You're expressing to others what is going on in your life.  You have an inner feeling to let others know about your life.  But letting this "I" habit in conversation to get out of control can lead to a downward feeling.  The more you talk about yourself, the more you NEED to talk about yourself.  Restrict talking about yourself like you restrict calories in your daily diet.  If you eat too much you get fat.  Well, if you talk too much about yourself, you'll get too overly focused on YOU.

Practice listening today.  Don't feel that you need to add input or respond to every situation.  Try to hear what others are saying and what they are trying to accomplish.  Now, think of some way you may be able to assist that person accomplish their goal.  Maybe it's some information you came across.  Maybe it's a friend that you have that could help.  Maybe you could pitch in with a phone call to help.  The simple response of, "could I help you with that?"  will deepen your respect of what the other person is experiencing.  Of course, make sure if you offer assistance, that you can fulfill your offer.

"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else."
                                                 -Peyton Conway March

3. Give Daily Gifts.

Giving daily gifts is actually much easier than it sounds. Most of us think of a gift as a present, or a card.  Actually, a gift can be a simple thought or wish.

Here are some ideas of gifts that you can give today to others (with examples in parentheses):

• A Physical Gift. (A box of candy. Buy Lunch. Buy a cup of Coffee.)
• A Sincere Compliment. ("You look great today!" "I like your shoes!" "Are you losing weight?")
• A Well Wish. ("I hope that works out well for you." "I hope you get what you want." "I hope you're feeling better tomorrow.")
• A Silent Prayer. (When encountering someone say to yourself, "May this person have a great day." "Bless this person with good health." "Take good care of this person today.")
• A Card or Email. ("Just thinking of you today." " Hope all is going well." " Is there anything I can do today to make your day better?")
• A Phone Call.  ("Just checking in to see how things are going for you." "How are things going today?")

To begin, attempt to give one gift today.  Tomorrow, attempt to give two gifts.  In a week, attempt to give four or five gifts.  In time, this will become second nature to you.

"It is amazing that by giving a compliment to another, you can make their day and not even realise that you've done that."
                                                 -Anonymous

4. Give Up Negative Media.

Have you noticed that it's hard to be gracious when you're feeling down?  Removing negative influences in your life is the first step to a better feeling, more gracious self.

We are bombarded daily with negative news.  Check out a news based website.  What is the first thing you encounter?  Death?  Accidents?  Misfortunes?  Watch an evening television newscast.  What are the lead stories?  Are you starting to see a pattern?  Bad news sells, so it's a natural tendency of the media to report bad news.  Have you noticed that you don't feel good after watching the news?  Or reading the paper?  Media is emotionally draining. 

It is important to a joyful life to remove this negative energy.  "But what will I do without the news?"  You'll be amazed how you'll still find out what's going on from friends, but the negative energy will be greatly diffused. Seek out television shows that energize and enlighten you.  Or better yet, start reading books or go for a walk.

5. Take Care of Your Physical Self.

Work to get into better physical shape.  Start a regular walking program.  Watch what you're eating. Take time to relax each day.  Get a good night's sleep each evening.

As you take care of your physical self, your mood rises.  Watch as you switch from a high calorie, high sugar breakfast to an oatmeal breakfast.  You'll start of feel more even.  No sugar rushes.  Take a walk.  Afterwards, notice how good it feels.  It is well worth the time.  You owe a good physical life to yourself!

6. Remove The "...But."  Quit Making Excuses.

Always show gratitude. 

"I would have thanked them but, they have been rude to me in the past." Or "I would have helped, but I was busy."  "I would have said thanks, but ..." , but, but, but.  "I forgot," "I was stressed," "There wasn't time."  There are so many different endings that we behind the ..."but." 

Get rid of the buts, and get involved! Not saying "Thank You" adds additional stress and emotional baggage that you carry around with you.  The more the reason to say "Thank You," the heavier the emotional baggage you carry. Be thankful that you are blessed in your friends and surroundings. 

Take the time to say, "Thanks!"    It's not that difficult- write, email, call. No buts! Make someone else's day better, and your day will be improved as well.

"...we could do without Hollywood for a century. We could not do without them (our soldiers) and their sacrifice for a week. Gratitude."
                                                -Ben Stein

7. Create a Gratitude Journal.

Log down each day the wonderful things that happen on your behalf. You can do this during the day when you have a moment, or in the evening before sleep.  Take a moment and reread your journal.  You'll start to notice all the good things in this world.  Did you realize that there are so many people with good intentions?

Scientific research has shown that gratitude journals create an immediate effect.  Keeping a journal for as little as a week or two resulted in longer and more relaxed sleep, more energy, and lower levels of depression.

8. Create a Gratitude Shelf.

Set aside a space in your home that you will see everyday.  Make this your gratitude shelf.  Place reminders of everything you're thankful for on the shelf.  Pictures of loved ones, keepsakes from vacations, cards from friends, momentos from work, reminders of goals or dreams.

When you walk by or sit next to your gratitude shelf, you will connect again to what is important in your life.

9. Go To Sleep Counting Thanks, Instead Of Sheep.

This amazing habit really improves sleep and helps you to re-evaluate your day.  As you thank, give a reason why your thankful.  For example, "thank you for my son Joe and the wonderful career he has going," or "thank you for my spouse, with whom my life would not be complete."  Increasing your depth of gratitude has a calming effect and prepares your body for a restful sleep.