I hope this finds you well after celebrating Thanksgiving this year and as we rapidly move into Christmas’s reflective and festive time. Thanksgiving is about gratitude – practising it every day has far-reaching benefits for us.

When you connect with life from gratitude, you expand your capacity to be awake and open for every moment.

What becomes possible when you say yes to life in gratitude for everything precisely as it is?

When you embrace life as a fantastic gift, how does it change your perception of your world and this moment?

“There is no duty more indispensable than returning a kindness.” Cicero

Gratitude can have long-lasting positive impacts when we make it our daily practice. The expression of gratitude is a self-promoting feel-great exercise. People are more likely to respond with gratitude to a broader range of scenarios and recognize the goodwill in others. They are happier because they feel gratitude.

3 Simple ways to express gratitude:

1. Random acts of kindness

2. Volunteer in your community

3. Be respectful all day long

Leave The Negatives Behind

Too many of us cling to the past with a fierce determination that somehow keeping it close makes us better people. Often the reverse is true. Consciously let go of resentment, vengeance, or bottled-up feelings towards yourself or another person. When we forgive, we release ourselves from the burden of carrying around grudges that limit our growth. Forgiveness is just as much an act of self-love as mercy towards another. When you can forgive, you release immense energy from your mind, heart, and body. Think about how you might still carry bitterness, anger, or grief within you this week. Are you still holding a grudge against anyone in your life? Perhaps you even have a grudge against yourself. Remember that holding onto any emotion is detrimental to your well-being. If you can’t find it in your heart to forgive someone, think about ways to release the bottled-up emotion inside of you. You are worthy of feeling free inside. You are worthy of projecting gratitude and feeling the peace this gifts you.