“Gratitude makes sense of our past,
brings peace for today and
creates a vision for tomorrow.”
~Melody Beattie~
This is the season for giving thanks! What we focus on expands and what we appreciate appreciates. Unfortunately, we tend to focus on what we don’t have and what’s going wrong. When we choose to be grateful for what we do have and what’s going right, we are more positive and confident and that helps us attract more good things to us.
Here are three proven practices for cultivating an attitude of gratitude:
1) Write in a Gratitude Journal. Keep a notebook by your bed. A few nights a week, make a brief list of what you are grateful for that day. Include at least one unique entry. Soon you’ll be thinking during the day, “What am I going to write in my gratitude journal?” For example, when was the last time you expressed gratitude for 
hot and cold running water, a healthy body or a colorful sunset? You’ll stop taking “little” things for granted, put challenges into perspective and sleep much better.
2) Accelerate Your Eventual Success. After a disappointment or perceived failure, like not getting that job offer or new client, do you tend to feel despondent and insecure? Instead, choose to be grateful for lessons learned and what’s to come in anticipation of your success.
3) Transform Challenging Relationships. Think about someone you see on a regular basis who you don’t get along with. It might be a boss, coworker or family member. For one week, commit to refrain from being critical of that person in what you say and what you think. Instead, each day write down one thing about them for which you are grateful. For example, you might start the week by writing that this person teaches you to be more patient. By the end of that week, because you chose to focus on the good, that relationship will improve. (For very challenging relationships, it might take two weeks!)
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What strategies do you use to cultivate your attitude of gratitude?