“It is necessary, then, to cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” -Wallace D. Wattles, The Science of Getting Rich or Financial Success Through Creative Thought

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melodie Beattie

Gratitude is incredibly important, but why? Well, when we’re grateful for the things we have, it attracts more to us to be grateful for.

I mention gratitude at the end of each of my Persuasion Factor calls and my Elite Coaching Club because gratitude should be our constant companion not just a Thanksgiving Day foot note or brief prayer on Sunday. It should permeate all of our interactions.

Experiencing and expressing our gratitude does not have to be limited to to receiving gifts or favors. True gratitude is about looking deeply at our lives and understanding how truly lucky we are to be alive at this moment in time.

Every night and every day I meditate on the things I am grateful for I have a huge list of things, as do all of us: family, friends, colleagues, students, employees, health, financial success, future successes and advancements. When it rains (and here in the Pacific Northwest it rains a lot) I am grateful because I know that’s part of why the area is so lush and fruitful. I am grateful when the sun comes out (because, as I mentioned above, here in the Pacific Northwest it rains A LOT).

My gratitude extends to simple things as well as complex. As I go throughout the day, I stop to consider the struggles I’ve endured, challenges I’ve overcome and lessons that have made me who I am today and I am grateful for the things I’ve accomplished because they have brought me to where I am in life.

There are times in life when we believe things aren’t going as smoothly as we’d like. Maybe your health isn’t perfect. This is the most powerful time to be grateful. Instead of cursing your body for what it can’t do, be grateful for what it can.

There’s an old Irish proverb that says, ‘Count your joys instead of your woes; count your friends instead of your foes.’ This is beautiful. In my opinion, the key is all in what we choose to focus on.

As you begin to take notice of all that is good in your life, this gratitude will turn your life around.