What Guarantees a Happy Life

Is this common knowledge that people who practice gratitude are healthier physically, mentally, even spiritually?

I have always felt better when my mind feels thankful, when I can appreciate the people in my life and enjoy how I get to spend my time, even if I'm cleaning the house or feeding the goats--really, watching goats chomp on their hay is about as joyful as life gets. (Yes, I enjoy simple things.)

But our world is not set up for gratitude. Rather it focuses on convincing people that they lack something in their lives--as common as material goods ("My living space isn't big enough, my clothes are not trendy enough . . . ") to those more intangibles ("You aren't smart enough or talented enough or energetic enough . . . ").

Enough.

I read a bunch of scientific articles about how thankfulness actually changes our neuropathways, can eliminate anxiety, tones down fear, improves sleep and immunity, even reduces depression. (Here's a link to one article in particular, as I don't want to spend all your time quoting from it: The Neuroscience of Gratitude & Its Effects on the Brain.

If you are ready for a little more Happy in your life, I suggest two things:

1. Write down those things about yourself that you appreciate, enjoy, love! Don't be humble; be honest. Post it somewhere where you will see it often. And every time you see it, think, "That is truth."
2. Write down all those people in your life you are grateful for. Last week I discovered my first boss passed away almost four years ago. Obviously, I had not been in contact with him for a bit, but rarely a day went by that I didn't think about him. He taught me so much about work ethic and business and family.
   

While I had written a few notes to him over the years, I don't know if he knew the impact he had on me, how grateful I was for the opportunities he gave me in the ten years I worked for him.

So with that list of people you make, start sending them notes. The difference between a note and a text is that a note gets re-read, it gets displayed, it gets saved. 

I encourage you this week to incorporate more gratitude into your life every single day. You will notice a difference, as will the people around you.

Let's do this.