Stay thankful

By Lavern Nissley

​You could pretty quickly list a whole bunch of things that are going wrong in your life, that are frustrating you or that people around you are screwing up. What happens to your mood when that's your focus? Yucky and dark, right?

Did know that people who express gratitude consistently experience significant physical, psychological and social benefits? Consider these: lower blood pressure, better sleep, more alertness, higher resistance to stress, less lonely and isolated, just to list a few.

Recently while driving on a very curvy and busy street I suddenly became aware of how dependent I was on my eyes. Thousands of interactions daily with my brain to keep me on track and avoid crashing! "I am very, very thankful for my eyes!"

This morning I quickly thought of and jotted down the following things I'm very grateful for:

• Great coffee to enjoy first thing every morning (from coffee beans, ground up and French-pressed)
• ​Work environment that is enjoyable and uplifting, complete with co-workers that tease each other with good taste.
• A super precious marriage partner in Ronda, on the same journey for 40 years this December 29. Can't imagine a better match for who we both are!
  

One tangible and simple way to stay grateful is to keep a gratitude journal, whether hardcopy or electronic. "Today I am thankful for . . ." and simply list 3-5 things that come to your mind. 

Try it for a week and see the difference it makes.

learn more on gratitude