August 5

I guess I should explain. Practicing gratitude isn’t supposed to add more stress to your life. It isn’t intended to be yet another thing on your jam packed to-do list that leaves you frustrated because you didn't get to it. Practicing gratitude can be as simple and easy as you want or need to make it.

The easiest approach is to add it to what you're already doing. Simply heighten your awareness. As you walk through your day, be on the lookout for goodness and beauty and give them a figurative nod of appreciation. Even just that small, mindful, effortless change will make a difference in your gratitude quotient and improve your life.

If you want to go deeper and you find yourself with five or ten minutes, follow the suggestions at the beginning of this series and sit quietly, relax your body, take deep breaths and guide your thoughts to bask fully in the things for which you are grateful. It's powerful stuff.

How you do this doesn't matter, but that you do it in some form does.

I’ll post these reminders until we reach day twenty-one, which is the amount of time it takes us to form a habit. Add your address below and I’ll help you remember to make Big Joy a part of your day. 

The Big Joy of Little Things - Day 9 and I am grateful for….

35.  My car that has 250,000 miles and passed the annual state inspection! Bonus:  they also fixed the air conditioning!

36.  Coming across old photos of happy times with the ones I love (see above).

37.  A mid-week date night with my Hubby and uninterrupted conversation.

38.  Gratitude and the way it is slowly and subtly shaping me.