Gratefulness has the power to completely change your life. The more grateful you, the more joy you experience and the more you find yourself filled with zest for life.

But what’s sad is that so many people STRUGGLE with gratefulness. They constantly compare themselves to others.

They are only aware of what they don’t have. They rarely stop to savor all the good things in their lives. If that describes you at all, I created something that I think will be really helpful for you.

It’s called:
THE 5 DAY GRATEFULNESS CHALLENGE

FREE 5 DAY CHALLENGE

It’s a totally FREE 5-day challenge that will help you significantly grow in gratefulness. Every day you’ll receive both a reflection and an action to take. The reflection will get you think about something important, and then you’re really going to take action. The goal? To help you become overflowing with GRATEFULNESS in 5 days or less.

BECOMING AWARE

Welcome to Day 1 of the gratefulness challenge. Today we’re going to be starting with the very simple practice of AWARENESS. 

REFLECTION:

A grateful heart is a heart is AWARE of the good things that are already present. In other words, when you’re grateful, you’re constantly seeing all the good that you have in your life. You’re not constantly frustrated about what you don’t have.  Not constantly searching for the next thing you’re going to get.

Rather, you’re always on the lookout for good things that are coming into your life. And when you notice these things, you give thanks for them.

• A delicious cheesecake…
• A great game…
• A song that you love…
• A peaceful walk on a fall day…
• Friends who make you laugh…

If you want to be grateful, you must regularly be aware of all the good things, big and small that come into your life. When you do this, your heart will be filled with gratefulness.

ACTION:

Decide today that you are going to notice at least TEN things that you are grateful for. Start noticing as soon as you wake up. Make an effort to notice something you’re grateful for within the first five minutes of waking up. If nothing comes to mind, simply be grateful that you are in your position as leader! You’ve got another day to positively impact the lives of those you lead, another day to experience wonderful blessings, another day to be filled with joy.

The moment you become aware of something, give thanks for it. It can help if you say, “Thank you for [insert thing you’re grateful for].” By saying it out loud, you’re actively reminding yourself of the good that has come into your life.You shouldn’t have any trouble noticing ten things to be grateful for. If you get to ten early in the day, go for TWENTY! The more you’re grateful, the happier you’ll be.

Okay, now it’s time for you to practice being aware and being grateful. At the end of the day, write how you felt in the comments below. Come on, don’t be shy! And stay tuned for tomorrow because we’re going keeping a gratitude journal. #GRATEFUL & #THANKFUL

GRATEFULNESS JOURNALING

Welcome to day 2 of the gratefulness challenge. Wasn’t yesterday great? We talked about the practice of noticing. Today we’re going to be working on gratefulness journaling.

REFLECTION:

Gratefulness journaling takes the practice of awareness a step further. It involves first noticing things you are grateful for, then taking action & actually writing down those things in a journal. You might be wondering why it’s necessary to write down the things you notice.

Two Reasons for this.

• When we write things down, it gives us time to reflect. Writing, especially writing by hand, forces us to slow down & think. When you write about what you’re grateful for, it allows you to pause & consider WHY you’re so grateful.
• Second, writing down the things you’re grateful for reinforces them in your mind. It’s like noticing them a second time and being grateful for them all over again.

This practice of “double gratefulness” can literally double your joy. When you write down what you’re grateful for, it freshly focuses your attention on those things and gives you a fresh appreciation for all that you have to be grateful for.

ACTION:

There’s no need to overcomplicate this. Get a notebook. At the end of each day, write down at least TEN things from your day that you’re grateful for. They can be big things, like getting a raise at work, to little things, like holding your daughter’s hand on a walk.

Also, write down WHY you’re grateful. What about them makes you happy? Why are you grateful for them? Finally, after you’ve written each thing down, say a brief word of thanks for it. Take the opportunity to be grateful again in the moment. This practice doesn’t need to take long. You should be able to do it in 5-10 minutes. The goal is simply to get yourself in a state of gratefulness at the end of the day.

Now, before we dive in tomorrow, take a moment to share in the comments how this went for you. Did you find it challenging to come up with ten things to be grateful for? What was it like writing them down? I can’t wait to hear your comments.

THE POWER OF SAYING THANK YOU!

Welcome to day 3 of the gratefulness challenge. I hope you found it helpful to do some gratitude journaling yesterday. Today we’re going to be talking about the power of saying, “Thank you.” This can totally change the way you experience life.

REFLECTION:

It’s two simple words that change everything. Thank. You. That’s it. A phrase we take for granted.      A phrase we say far too little. Can you imagine how it would change your life if you constantly said, “Thank you,” to people? If you took every opportunity to thank people? If you…

• Thanked a coworker for a prompt reply to an email
• Said a heartfelt, “Thank you,” when your boss let you go home 30 minutes early
• Thanked your spouse for cooking a delicious dinner
• Gave your kids a big hug and thanked them for cleaning up their toys
• Were full of gratefulness when a family member called to check in

Being thankful to others profoundly changes the way we go through life. When you’re constantly thankful to others, it fills your heart with joy and helps you live in a constant state of gratitude.

ACTION:

Today, make every effort to say, “Thank you,” to others. Match the practice of awareness with the practice of gratefulness to others. Try to notice at least TEN things you can thank someone for. They don’t have to be big things. Give thanks for even the smallest ways a person helps you or brings joy into your life.

You’ll discover that the practice of gratitude completely changes your relationships with people. They’ll be much more receptive you, much more open, much more willing to share their lives with you. And you’ll simply be grateful that they’re in your life.

Gratitude is an incredibly powerful practice. A practice so powerful that it can change your relationships forever. Until then, please share your experience with constantly saying, “Thank you.” Was it difficult at all? How did people respond? Were there any unexpected responses? Write it in the comments below!

GRATITUDE AFFIRMATIONS

Welcome to day 4 of the gratitude challenge. What was it like saying, “Thank you,” to so many people? How did it change the way you went through your day? Today we’re going to be discussing the important gratitude affirmations.

REFLECTION:

Gratitude affirmations go even beyond just saying, “Thank you,” to a person or journaling. They are active, positive, enthusiastic statements of gratitude. Gratitude affirmations are NOT based on you feeling grateful. That’s a key distinction. Rather, you are CHOOSING to be grateful for things, even if you don’t feel grateful.

There are two types of gratitude affirmations.

• The first is when you’re grateful for the things you already have. You AFFIRM that you have received a good things in your life and you give SPECIFIC thanks for all the blessings that you have received.
• The second type of affirmations are future-oriented and are when you give thanks for all the good things you are GOING to receive.

Both types of affirmations are CRITICALLY important. The first helps you constantly be grateful in the moment for every good thing that flows into your life. The second helps you live in a state of grateful ANTICIPATION for all the good things that are coming your way.

ACTION:

Today, you’re going to create both a present gratefulness affirmation and a future gratefulness affirmation. When it comes to the present gratefulness affirmation, you want to include as many things as you can think of to be grateful for. Start your affirmation with, “I’m grateful for…” and then begin reciting the numerous things that fill your heart with overflowing gratitude. An example of a present gratitude affirmation is:

I’m so grateful for all the blessings I’ve received today. I’m grateful for my new job. I’m grateful for my friendships. I’m grateful for my children. I’m grateful for the delicious steak I ate last night. I’m grateful for the good night’s sleep I got. I’m grateful for this wonderful Diet Mountain Dew I’m drinking.

Until then, leave a comment below telling everyone what this experience was like for you. What does your current gratitude affirmation look like? What about your future affirmation? Share your thoughts. 

THE SILVER LINING

Welcome to day 5 of the gratefulness challenge. Wow, you made it! Congratulations! Aren’t you excited? Today we’re going to be talking about the power of ALWAYS being able to find something to be grateful for.

REFLECTION:

It may seem like a trite, cliché phrase, but there truly is ALWAYS a silver lining to every situation. In other words, in every situation, there is something to be grateful for. Yes, even the hard, challenging situations.

The ability to be grateful for things even in the midst of difficult situations is what sets apart the most grateful people from everyone else. And the truth is, when you’re constantly looking for the good in every situation, it completely changes how you experience each situation. Suddenly, everything is not doom and gloom.

Rather, you’re able to see that, even in the midst of difficulty, there is real good. If you want to grow into a truly, overwhelmingly grateful person, this is the last skill you must master. You must learn the fine art of seeing good things in every situation you encounter.

“YOU CAN OBSERVE A LOT… JUST BY WATCHING.” ~ YOGI BERRA

ACTION:

Think about a difficult situation you’re currently experiencing. Now, sit down with a piece of paper and answer all the following questions regarding that situation:

• What valuable lesson can I learn from this situation?
• What good thing can come out of this challenge?
• How can this difficulty actually make me a better person?
• In five years, how will I look back on this situation?

Don’t gloss over this. Reflect deeply on each question. I think you’ll find that the more time you give to answering each question, the more you’ll find your heart welling up with gratitude. You’ll also begin to see that in EVERY situation, there is something good you can take from it!

Now repeat this process for another difficult situation you’re facing. How does walking through these questions change your perspective on the entire situation?

Now share briefly in the comments. Was it hard for you to find good in the midst of your difficulties? What is one good thing you were able to take from your most difficult situation?

CONGRATS ON COMPLETING THE CHALLENGE