I started with the normal things: my home, my health, my family, my job (even though at the moment I wasn’t feel all that grateful), my faith…. Then I started to transition into other areas of my life that I take for granted – adequate food, clean drinking water, freedom to speak my mind, a working car, fresh air.  Then it got a bit silly….my morning pre-workout drink, my comfy shoes, having my lunch packed for the day.  It wasn’t long before other things popped into my mind — my renewed friendship with my brother, living in a place where I feel safe, the relationship I have with my kids, being able to share my feelings with my husband even when they are hard to articulate sometimes…and the list continued.  Before I knew it, 5 minutes were up and I wasn’t even done.

Incredible really.  My stress level was significantly reduced and even though I knew the day ahead of me was still grim, I felt like I could navigate it with peace and calm.  And you know what? That feels pretty dang good. 

It was also a good reminder for me that if I start my day with gratitude, my day goes better – something that I need to keep in my morning routine.

So try it.  Take 5 minutes and make a list of all you are grateful for today. It can be big like your home. It can be little like your cup of coffee. Just start making a list.  I bet you will be pleasantly surprised how good you feel. 