It’s Time to Count Your Blessings

Do you live your life with gratitude?

While this might seem like a simple question, being honest about it can have a profound impact on your daily life. Counting your blessings and taking the time to see the positive in your life, even though life isn’t perfect, will help you feel happier and more joyful.

Living with gratitude isn’t something I’ve always done. Truth be told, I didn’t even understand what it meant until I went through breast cancer almost eight years ago.

If you’re like I was, and you aren’t sure where to start, here are some questions you can ask yourself:

Do I have people in my life who I can count on, even when life gets hard?

Am I healthy and are my loved ones healthy? 

Is there food on my table, shelter over my head, and a warm bed for me to sleep in?

Are there activities I enjoy, even small ones, that make me feel happy?

Living with gratitude is about noticing the little things in life, taking the time to feel grateful for them, and training your mind to see your blessings instead of your problems.

Thinking about the above questions can help us recognize the good in our lives, even though life isn’t perfect. When we look for the good in our lives, even in hard times, things feel a little easier. Life feels lighter. The weight of our challenge doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

Try to find something good in your life to feel thankful for, even if it’s something small.

I understand there are times in our lives when it feels hard to find something to feel grateful for. I’ve been there, I get it. However, even in those moments, there are still blessings for us to notice. Sometimes, we might just have to work extra hard to find them.

It’s all how you look at things.

When we are able to notice and see the good in our lives, we feel better, happier, more content.

Are you tired of driving carpool? Think about how blessed you are to have children to drive. Feeling overworked at your job? At least you have a job to go to. Hate making dinner for your family each night? You’re lucky to have a family to cook for. Are you tired of dealing with an illness? Try and feel grateful for your medical team and the help you are receiving.

Here’s how I bring gratitude into my day:

Each day, before my feet hit the ground and I get out of bed, I take a moment to feel grateful. I think about 3 things I am blessed to have in my life, and I give thanks for those things. Even when I’m facing a challenge, I still do this before getting out of bed. This helps me start my day with a positive mindset. I also do this before I close my eyes at night, trying to find 3 things in my day I feel grateful to have experienced.

This might seem like a simple and easy exercise, but I promise it works. Training your mind to find the good in your life will help you feel happier and more joyful. Learning to count your blessings, instead of your problems, is the way to bring gratitude into your daily life.

From my heart to yours,

Dara