In Front of You

   

Good morning, Friends. I want to talk to you today about the practice of gratitude. Many of us have a morning routine, and so often we may stumble through it, too sleepy to really pay attention, or rush through it in too much of a hurry to enjoy our morning. But the practice of gratitude can help us reclaim our minutes and to truly enjoy our days without missing all the beauty that's going on around us. 

  This morning I sat down to do a simple gratitude practice, list three things I am thankful for. I sat on the couch and looked around, taking time to slow down and ask, "What am I thankful for?" At first, my brain gave this overarching answer, "Everything." "Ok," I asked myself, "But what about right now, in this minute?" Almost immediately I smelled the fragrance of my blueberry coffee, and I smiled. The first thing to be thankful for. I thought of the seeds in the garden after last night's rain, and I was thankful for the beauty of plants and growth. I looked at my bundle of highlighters and realized, I am thankful for color and variety in life. And then it hit me. Everything we want in life, peace, beauty, joy, love, it's all right here, right in front of us. But so often we are too busy to notice it. We are running from one thing to the next and wondering why we are stressed out and can't find peace, when really, it is right here. We just have to slow down to see it. We have to take time to be grateful for it. 

  Gratitude isn't hard, but it's often overlooked. It seems everyone from scientists to Oprah Winfrey has talked about the importance of a gratitude practice for our overall well-being, and yet so often we forget to take this simple action of slowing down and being thankful. 

  Today, I encourage you to make a commitment to practice gratitude. It is one of the simplest things you can do to reclaim your minutes and your peace. And as the saying goes, "The more you are thankful for, the more you will have to be thankful for." Look for things to appreciate in the world around you. There's more beauty in your life than you realize. You simply have to slow down and stop missing it. Take the time to smell the roses today and to be grateful that you can. You only get one life. I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W.