Without gratitude, you may focus only on what's lacking in your life, rather than what you appreciate.

Gratitude

keeps you optimistic, and evidence shows that optimism improves your health." ~ Lissa Rankin, M.D.

It is the New Year and January is already over!

What emotion does this statement conjure up for you? For many of us, we experience a twinge of panic. Whether we made New Years Resolutions or just pretend we did, this opportunity for a fresh start, to change something in our Lives and the pressured hype to be successful can be a powerful impetus for feeling frustrated and disappointed.

When did the turning over of a New Year ~ trump, living each day to the fullest? Whatever happened to "Today is the first day of the rest of your Life"? Many of us remember that slogan and the Smiley face of the same era: Have a good day!

Changing for the better is the preferred, positive, direction. Yet when we set our focus on someone else's plan or version of what "better" looks like,we set ourselves up for chasing the elusive butterfly. We separate ourselves from our own power, guidance and direction. We waste our promise of infinite possibilities. To feel better ~ we put our faith into something outside of us.

What if you turned your attention, within? What if you decide to stop chasing, anything? What if you slowed down a bit ~ to hear your own wisdom and see your own direction? What if you focus on feeling and being Grateful?

Gratitude is an acknowledgement of something greater than ourselves, not outside of ourselves. Perhaps it is a broader perspective than cherishing our limitations or holding on to a belief ~that we are alone in this world.

Let's list the 7 top aspects of our Lives, for which we are Grateful.

Let's focus on those each day.

Let's allow the other stuff to just~ slough off from lack of attention.

Let's Celebrate all our Successes that come to us daily... when we Live in

Gratitude!