Something that I have learned repeatedly, is that life, quite often, doesn’t necessarily respond in the way we want it to. Life does, however, respond to what you place your clear, intentional, attention on. It’s not easy to wake up every morning and “count your blessings,” or “see the good in all circumstances,” especially when life has knocked you around a bit. No matter what degree of harsh humanness life is dishing me, my salve is my gratitude practice. Especially when I least want to practice it.

For me, it’s a practice that I must work on deeply, like building a muscle. I can stay in my head quite easily, complaining, worrying, stressing about so many things, but at the end of the day where is that getting m? It’s getting me cemented into a negative space. I do not do well in negative spaces, not sure I have met a soul who does.

My practice begins each morning as I wake. I write ten things that I am grateful for. It may seem simple, but believe me, there are days when I struggle to write down just one thing. Of course, I know I have so much to be grateful for, but that is the power of the mind and the ego snuffing out the heart. Hence, a tactile practice to get my heart back in charge is in order.

Secondly, I recite affirmations. I also recite them before I go to bed at night as a loving gesture to myself. When one’s cup is full, giving is so, very easy.

Here are some of my affirmations that I recite daily. They can be as simple as you want as long as they are said with loving intention.

• I am grateful to be alive. It is my joy and pleasure to live another wonderful day.

• I gratefully receive the lessons that each experience brings.

• Even devastation is an opportunity for transformation, and my gratitude evolves as I do.

• I welcome all of the ways the universe wants to bless me.

• I choose to be thankful for the light of this new morning and renewed energy and strength to be who I know I can be.

• I accept my burdens and accept my blessings, so I transform my burdens into my blessings.

• In truth, my gratitude is an absolute magnet for the manifestation of all that I want.

• I choose to see peace instead. I am willing to trust that my life is exactly as it’s meant to be. I can relax a little and be thankful for what I have now.

Someone once said, give thanks for your ability to give anything in life, even if all you can give is a “thank you.” That struck me as beautifully profound. In life, we are not remembered for how much we have, but for how much we gave. In order to give, we first must feel whole. We are mere human beings, and we need help being whole consistently, so the practice of gratitude and prayer helps me maintain my center. I hope you find a practice that brings love and steadiness to you. We need a collective surge of goodness, why not start with this?

Sending blessings of love…