Life isn’t easy. When I share my struggles with you, it’s because I appreciate your friendship, but also because I hope to give back.

I’ve invested a lot of time in living a purposeful life and I’ve been fortunate to meet people who have worked with me to develop tools that help me live in a way that is peaceful and joy filled.  

My hope is that in sharing my struggles and my strategies I can inspire you to know that if I can do it, you can too.

Lately I’ve been using gratitude a lot, and so I had to smile when I ran across this Wall Street Journal piece that presents the idea that gratitude may be the secret to happiness. 

I learned that I’m far from alone in finding gratitude a great tool to increase happiness and appreciation.  

I started using gratitude on a regular basis about 3 years ago, at the suggestion of my Real Jane Relationship Strategist Coach Tre Bradley.  

Here’s my daily gratitude practice:

I wake at 4am and grab a cup of coffee, then before the cares of the day get in my way, I focus on 3 things I’m grateful for and write a little about them.  (Actually I type on my computer!) The key is making them relevant to a situation I may be struggling with.  For instance it would be easy to say I’m thankful for my heath every morning but it’s harder sometimes to find a kernel of what I’m thankful for in a situation that I’m struggling with – but that’s where I find the magic of gratitude.  Maybe I’m struggling with still thinking about the relationship I ended but I’m grateful that the growth that led me to end it also will help me be a better Mom.

That’s pretty much it! Then of course I use gratitude throughout the day as a reminder that whatever my worries are, they often pale in comparison to what other people are struggling with.

Have a beautiful day,