An Attitude of Gratitude

Want to hear my best antidote for being in a funk?

Gratitude.

I learned this lesson a while ago but, like all the good ones, it keeps coming around because I still have more work to do on it.

Whenever life gets you down and you feel bummed, confused, perplexed---you know, all those fun experiences that make you ask the really big questions about life---try this simple exercise.

Sit yourself down, get out some paper and a pen (markers, crayons, and colored pencils work well too) and make a list. Make this list all the way down the paper, like they used to have us do in school for spelling tests. I love spelling tests! I went to the state finals when I was in 8th grade but was eliminated on the word VESTIGE. Who the heck knows that word in 8th grade?

Anyway...

Make that list. Numbers down the margin. And beside each number, name something your grateful for.
Like this,

1. My girlfriend
2. My strong body
3. My education
4. My friends
5. Diesel cafe mochas
6. My iPhone

Wow! That was awesome!

This really works best when you're feeling like crap. Total and complete utter crap. When you feel like nothing is going right and you can't win and you want to throw in the towel and give up the ship and join Cap'n Jack Sparrow's crew.

Those days.

Get the HECK outta that negative space with this simple exercise. Notice how your perspective changes when you realize how much abundance you have in your life.

Want to know the best part? You can do this as many times as you want. As often as you need to get out of a funk. A life well-lived is not easy. There seems to be no limit to the challenges and problems we come up against. It's easy to lose perspective and feel pessimistic, frustrated and discouraged. I feel this way often because I'm going for the Gold in my own life---and that comes with alot of moments when I feel scared, incompetent and intimidated. Did you catch my thoughts about discouragement?

No matter what's going on, no matter the uphill climb, the annoying people, the mixed messages and miscommunication, restlessness and big questions of life, you can find comfort in this:

an attitude of gratitude is always here, waiting for you----a constant reminder that you can come back to your breath and remember: "oh yes, I am blessed."