When gratitude becomes an essential foundation in our lives, miracles start to appear everywhere. -Unknown

So, let’s define gratitude as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and return kindness. Simply put, gratitude changes everything. Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to finding peace of mind and happiness inside no matter what you might be going through in life. Gratitude changes the way we start the day, spend the day, and look back on the day. For me, my day always begins and ends with gratitude. How about yours?

Living in a state of gratitude is the gateway of grace. -Arianna Huffington

Gratitude Affirmation – I am grateful for another opportunity that life offers me on today. I am grateful for a fresh start, a brand- new way of thinking and a positive outlook on life. I am grateful for the fact that I can learn from my mistakes, and then let them go. I am grateful for my mind, body, and spirit functioning in a way to inspire others using encouraging words from the soul. I am grateful to have God as my guide, my supporter, and my protector. I am grateful for my husband, children, close family, friends, and readers like you who offers me support every step of the way. I am grateful just to have another chance to get my life right and back on track.

Scriptures
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. I Chronicles 16:34 NIV

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:57 NIV

Gratitude is a lifestyle that you choose. Overtime, choosing gratitude means choosing joy. It’s a choice that requires constantly renewing of your mind with the truth of God’s Word, setting your heart to inspire others with creativity from within, and disciplining your tongue to speak words that reflect God’s goodness and His grace. Honestly, I believe a grateful spirit, rooted in the soil of God’s goodness and grace, will impact how you view and respond to everything in your life. When gratitude becomes your default setting, life changes.

It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful. -Unknown

Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal is a diary of things for which one is grateful. Gratitude journals are used by individuals who wish to focus their attention on the positive things in their lives.

ACTION – Start a gratitude journal to include a personal reflection (goals, thoughts, feelings), affirmation, scriptures, poems, quotes, kind gestures (writing notes, letters, or making phone calls). Be creative and honest. This process will change your life in a positive and uplifting way.

Here are some Gratitude Journal Prompts to help you get started:

• What’s a simple pleasure that you’re grateful for?
• What’s something about your body or health that you’re grateful for?
• What book(s) are you grateful for?
• What’s a tradition that you’re grateful for?
• What’s one of your personality traits that you’re grateful for?
• What mistake or failure are you grateful for?
• What skill(s) do you have that you’re grateful for?
• Look around the room and write about everything you see that you’re grateful for.
• Write about some place you’ve been that you’re grateful for.
• What’s something that you’re grateful to have today that you didn’t have a year ago?