Meditation

In the last few newsletters, I've taught a couple of techniques on how to get back to your “center”, including self-hypnosis and an emotional maintenance technique. If you missed them, you can click on my blog link below to catch up. This month, I'd like to address meditation. Although there are countless techniques and tons of information on the topic, I will attempt to simplify and clarify but also generalize for the sake of ease of this lesson.

The purpose of meditation is to observe and/or quiet the “monkey mind.” With regular practice, one has improved health, clarity of mind and greater happiness. Different meditations also provided various other benefits, depending on the technique. With all forms, it is suggested to find a quiet place and either have silence or play meditative music as well as to sit or lie comfortably. Sitting up is preferred if physically possible to prevent falling asleep. The goal is “restful awareness.” Also know that falling asleep is common with the chronically stressed who have little experience being in a place that is neither sleep nor running around. Set an alarm and just keep trying. (Anyone read “Eat, Pray, Love?)

Here are just a few techniques:

Breathing- Focusing on your breath (and the space between) calms the nervous system, focuses the mind and increases oxygen and healing. Be sure to breathe deeply into your belly at a natural, but easy pace. Breathing into the upper part of the torso increases stress!

Mantra – The use of a mantra is very common and beneficial for a number of reasons. The action of speaking/chanting causes sound healing in the mind, body and energy field, as well as relaxes and focuses great intention on the word or phrase. One may also just think the mantra silently but experts agree that vocalizing has a stronger effect.

Simply Observe – This technique is not intended to control the mind but to simply watch it. As you notice your thoughts, be non-judgmental and be sure not to buy into the thoughts either. Then you'll notice that you're noticing and wonder about that too! Be accepting and curious, observing wherever the mind goes. Do not try to direct it, just observe it calmly.

Singular Focus – this may be on a candle flame, feeling of love, connection to the Universe, sitting on the beach. Whatever this may be, let it be something calming, a joyful mental vacation or the way you'd like to feel, such as loved, happy, etc.

The benefits of meditation begin after just a few minutes and the more you practice, the greater the benefit. Remember that even 5 minutes can help when you're short on time. Life is stressful and we all need a way to regularly relax. Feel free to experiment and discover what feels good and works for you. Some feel that the morning works best and others, the evening or even right before bed. Some dislike certain forms but enjoy others. Also, many people feel that meditation is frustrating or that they're doing it wrong because they have to keep pulling their mind back to the focus or back to observing objectively. In fact, meditation is the act of doing that very thing, over and over and over. This is normal and the whole point of it!

Good Luck and Happy Meditating!

Emotional Maintenance

In this series of newsletters, I've been addressing various ways to center ourselves and to be in control of our own state. This technique is a very simple, yet profoundly powerful way to release emotions that have built-up from life's experiences, that we have taken on from others or even just feelings we want to release in the moment. This is one of the most important things we can learn in life and much of what is considered illness and aging is simply lots of emotion stored in our bodies.

When doing this for the first time, it might be helpful to prepare a list beforehand of a full range of common emotions one experiences in a lifetime, trying to remain objective. We all experience and internalize all emotions to various degrees. For example: anger, resentment, hatred, fear, worry, stress, sadness, despair, disappointment, judgment, blame, shame, embarrassment, worn down, overwhelm. Add or subtract as you see fit. If you're just stressed, focus on that one emotion. Even it's a mixture of emotions or you can't name it, focus on that feeling and it's just as effective. I strongly recommend “cleaning house” the first time you do this and then just maintaining as needed.

Sit comfortably in a chair. This is not hypnosis, but focused intention. Take a few relaxing breaths through your belly and imagine your feet are like the bottom of a tree and the roots are extending into the earth, grounding you. Mentally scan your body and mind and imagine that you can see or sense that emotion. Perhaps you see it as a dark cloud around you or sense that there is a vague feeling in your chest. Whatever it is for you, imagine gathering it up and releasing it down into the earth via your roots to be healed. Give yourself the time needed for each emotion. Be firm and persistent, yet gentle, kind and relaxed. Remind yourself that you are not that emotion, you no longer need to hold on to it and there are no benefits. Sometimes you may need to release an emotion in stages if it feels particularly big or strong. That's OK. Also, it's important to know that some people feel the benefits strongly and others do not. This is not a reflection of effectiveness but looking back later, you will notice that you feel better or are less triggered by things.

When you feel that you have been helpfully cleared, imagine a beam of light in whatever color you like coming down from the sky and filling you up with a wonderful emotion. See it filling in the spaces where the negative emotions were. Joy, love and peace are great suggestions but let yourself be guided as to what best suits you. Set your intention that this is your new norm. When you can sense that, feel it or see it, open your eyes and go about your day allowing yourself to feel better.

If there are any questions or something is unclear, feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to assist in any way I can. Enjoy the emotional control and good feelings!

Teaching Self-Hypnosis

In a recent newsletter, I mentioned how being centered and “in the flow” as much as possible was paramount to health and happiness. Over the next few newsletters, I'll teach a variety of easy and enjoyable at-home tools to help you do just that, starting with my favorite – self-hypnosis, of course! 

There are many studies showing the remarkable effectiveness of self-hypnosis, perhaps the most well known being the one with basketball players in the 1970's. In this study, they had one control group practice free throws on the court and another group just visualize shooting free throws. The group with the most improvement was the visualization group, who didn't set foot on the court! Even the Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson used self-hypnosis daily with the team when he coached Michael Jordan and the Bulls to their incredible 6 NBA Championships in the 1990's.

Of course, self-hypnosis can be utilized for anything, not just sports. We want to literally create our ideal reality and selves with this powerful tool. Even your body will respond as it's controlled by the sub-conscious too! Self-hypnosis is a stress management tool as well as a method for change and healing. Other benefits include better sleep, better health and greater happiness overall. This tool also optimizes your brain to better problem solve as well as strengthening your inner self and inner knowing.

Here are the guidelines you'll want to follow:

Take a few minutes to relax yourself. Choose whatever works for you such as imagining you're at the beach or another enjoyable place. I personally like to imagine any stress, negative energy (from myself or taken on from others), etc. leaving my body and as it does a feeling of peace, love and calm energy is what remains. Feel free to be creative and have fun.

Once you are relaxed, imagine what you'd like to create/achieve and experience it in the present tense as if you're really there. Some people are visual, some sensory and some auditory. It doesn't matter if you're not “visual.” Bring in as many senses as possible and natural for you. Then let yourself enjoy being there for a few moments (or longer if you like) and the satisfaction, joy and pride of having achieved it. Relish it for a time! If you have a number of goals, create a “ mental video clip” that includes all goals. This is much more effective than lots of different smaller goals.

Do self-hypnosis daily when possible. It doesn't have to be lengthy and repetition is better at regularly setting your intention and keeping you on course. A great time to do this is at bedtime. The last thing you think or feel as you're drifting off to sleep is what your mind focuses on all night long, creating more of the same and doubling the benefits of your efforts.

Don't try to control the details or other people. For example, if you're interviewing for jobs, just see yourself happily employed and knowing you're in the right place. Do not focus on one company and be open to all opportunity. The same applies for relationships. If you're already in a relationship, see you both as happy and loving. Don't worry about how you'll get there as there are infinite possibilities, which you are opening yourself and the relationship up to. 

As you can see, the process is simple, relaxing and enjoyable.

Another option for self-hypnosis is guided session, which some prefer, as they feel deeper and can accept more suggestions. It is, however, important to be able to do this on your own for specific goals and to know that you're in control and able to create whatever you choose.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments or post them on my blog for others to benefit as well.

Getting Back to Center

Often times it feels like life is a process of being pulled off course and getting back on, and I think we can all agree that this would not be far from the truth. Rest easy knowing that this is the great struggle that we all face in this modern world of ours...maintaining our flow and ease is a world that sometimes seems full of chaos and stress.

Whether it's an increase in work, relationship or health issues or just a busy time, we need to do our best to stay as centered as possible throughout and also to take the time to get back to center as soon as possible.

Being centered is a natural place where you feel healthy and capable. Not everything has to be perfect, but you feel competent, empowered and able to handle life's challenges with some sense of peace. Being off center creates varying levels of stress (some unknown on a conscious level) which in turn can create physical, emotional, energetic and mental imbalances. The longer and the more intense, the more the impact is generally felt.

Getting back to center sometimes takes work and time, working through an issue or discovering what's not working in our lives and making changes. If you've never known this place, it's imperative to discover it, and it's essential to our health, happiness and relationships to be there as much as possible. Sometimes it means just stopping to rest and rejuvenate, even just getting some extra sleep. It certainly involves a regular relaxation program or stress outlet, whether that is exercise, meditation/self-hypnosis or even just laughter. Allow your intuition and subconscious mind to guide you as to what's best for you. In the next few newsletters, I will suggest and teach a variety of simple but effective methods to assist you. 

Wishing you all a centered, happy, healthy life!

The Power of Your Non-Dominant Hand

There are many ways to access the subconscious mind and inner self for healing.  Self-hypnosis and mediation are common and well-known but I would like to present a simple, at-home technique that is less known about.  The process is simply writing with your non-dominant hand, a technique discovered by Lucia Capacchione, Ph.D. and discussed in her book “The Power of Your Other Hand.”

Writing with your other hand feels awkward at first, and you may want to start by simply writing your name or doodling.  To get the process moving a bit more, you can ask yourself a question with your dominant hand and then answer it with your non-dominant hand.  To be most effective, it’s best to find a quiet, private place to express yourself without pressure of time.  Don’t worry about messiness or slowness as this is normal.  Don’t rush the non-dominant hand and let it be comfortable and heard, perhaps for the first time. This is a tool that is easily learned, as you can see, but becomes more free-flowing quickly when done in a comfortable, non-judgmental setting.

Studies and her research show that in doing this, one can be more creative, expressive and intuitive as well as to gain insight in certain situations and issues.  One can heal relationships in the present and heal from the past.  One can release old emotions stored in the body and even discover new talents and strengths.  So the next time you’re wondering what’s going on with you, ask your other hand!  It just may have an answer for you.

Taking Care of Yourself

If the thought of taking care of yourself seems like a luxury, think again. If fact, nothing is more important in life. If we drain our health and happiness reserves, we are less able in life to love, take care of our responsibilities and move toward our goals.  Most problems of aging and illness are really just a buildup of life stressors over time, weakening us and wearing us down. The funny thing is, we are generally not taught how important this is or how to even do it.

We need to care for ourselves not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well. All are important components, regardless of spirituality, as we all still have a spirit. We also must honor our experiences and feelings, taking the time to process. What this means to each individual widely varies and is usually dealt with as it bothers you. Just as a physical pain gets investigated by a doctor, we need to investigate other “pains” too.

For instance, anger is a helpful emotion when it causes you to change something needed, but if it feels destructive in your life, find a way to heal it. If you’re feeling stressed, anxious, afraid or even emotionally numb, investigate that also.

Our pains are always diagnostic; indicating something needs to change or an awareness needs to be made. Sometimes it simply needs to be understood, processed and released. There are infinite ways to heal, from meditation, hypnosis and self-hypnosis, energy healing, psychologists, and such. Allow yourself to be drawn to whatever method suits you as it is always your brilliant subconscious mind guiding you. Then, thank yourself for the insight and opportunity to be healthier overall.

Pleasure

Our culture is forever encouraging us to do more, be more and accomplish more.  Many of us have gotten so busy and stressed that pleasure has started to feel like an indulgence, a departure from our goals.  But what if taking time for fun and pleasure actually helps us achieve our goals?

Studies show this is true on a small scale as well as a larger scale.  For instance, the brain functions best if we give it a 15 minute break every 90 minutes.  Also, the brain solves problems best when we focus intently on the issue for a time, and then do something completely unrelated and engaging, such as exercise or having fun.  In this way, the subconscious mind and intuition are allowed time to process.  We’ve all had the experience of trying to think of a name but are unable to until we let it go.  Then it just pops in our head, hours or even days later!

More importantly, an “all work, no play” philosophy belies an undercurrent of negative beliefs regarding ourselves and life.  When we do our best to achieve our goals, and yet take the time to take care of ourselves and enjoy life, we signal to the universe that we expect things to go well and the universe can then do more for us. We are also more relaxed and able to see options and opportunities that we would otherwise miss.  It also signals to us that we trust ourselves as well as maintaining balance and better health.  When we expect things to be easier, they become so.  Why work harder when you can work smarter, and happier?  So, take a break.  You deserve it!

Aging

You may have seen this famous viral videos that went around and if you haven’t, here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTWo9EfQ4Hc

This is one of the most amazing and inspiring videos I’ve ever seen!  I believe that it shows just how culturally brainwashed we are as a society about aging and the rate that our bodies break down. 

How often do we hear complaints from others about their knees, metabolisms and many other ailments that are all blamed on the aging process.  Even George Clooney was quoted as saying “Everyone has a year where they feel like they’ve aged a decade.”

We can do exercises to strengthen our knees, exercise and adjust diet to improve metabolism and take other steps for other issues. But we don’t.

Let’s be honest – it’s not aging but rather less and less activity, illness, diet, stress and lifestyle changes that cause most of us to “get old.”  Over time the effects of these accumulate but more importantly, we feel powerless to change the tide of what we feel is a slow decline because we believe it’s our age! Of course, aging is a small factor, but far less of one than we believe.

If we would only realize that we do have control of our bodies and perspectives, perhaps we would decide to halt and even reverse those “aging ailments” as best we can and to start living younger and stronger every day.  We must start wherever we are to heal and strengthen.  It may feel difficult and slow (because it took a while to get that way) but it is worth it because our bodies are meant to be healthy for many years. 

Let’s all reject the negative suggestions around us and break the “aging stigma.”  Let’s create our own healthy, youthful realities with better beliefs!

This is one of the most amazing and inspiring videos I’ve ever seen. I believe that it shows just how culturally brainwashed we are as a society about aging and the rate that our bodies break down.

How often do we hear complaints from others about their knees, metabolisms and many other ailments that are all blamed on the aging process. Even George Clooney was quoted as saying “Everyone has a year where they feel like they’ve aged a decade.”  We can do exercises to strengthen our knees, adjust diet and exercise to improve metabolism and take other steps for other issues. But we usually don’t.

Let’s be honest - it’s not aging but rather less and less activity, illness, diet, stress and lifestyle changes that cause most of us to “get old.”  Over time the effects of these accumulate but more importantly, we feel powerless to change the tide of what we feel is a slow decline because we believe it’s our age! Of course, aging is a small factor, but far less of one than we believe.

If we would only realize that we do have control of our bodies and perspectives, perhaps we would decide to halt and even reverse those “aging ailments” as best we can and to start living younger and stronger every day. We must start wherever we are to heal and strengthen. It may feel difficult and slow (because it took a while to get that way) but it is worth it because our bodies are meant to be healthy for many, many years.

Let’s all reject the negative suggestions around us and break the “aging stigma.” Let’s create our own healthy, youthful realities with better beliefs, just like Johanna!

Stress and HeartMath

We all know that stress is the greatest contributor to illness but it affects us on many levels and in many ways and can be all encompassing.  Stress can come from current situations, jobs and relationships but it can also come from unhealthy beliefs and habits, past trauma and even feeling uninspired and unfulfilled.  It’s no wonder it is universal and pervasive.

There are many things we can do to reduce or eliminate stress immediately, such as meditation, self-hypnosis and exercise to name a few, but one of the most impactful things we can do is an occasional stress inventory.  This means writing down everything that causes stress, temporary or permanent, and figuring out a strategy to handle it.  If it is an unhealthy relationship, either shift it, heal it or even maybe let it go.  If it is your own perception, find tools to help you change it in an empowering way.  In any case, see that you are in control and find a way to improve each issue.  Some things may take some time to find a solution but your intention will get your brilliant subconscious mind working on the problem for you.  When our lives are more aligned and happier overall, less effort is needed to recover from our day.

The Institute of HeartMath is wonderful organization dedicated to helping people with stress.  Their website (below) offers many tools and insights and I hope you’ll check it out.  You may have to make some short and/or long term changes but you’ll be happier, healthier and live longer.  It’s worth it!   

http://www.heartmath.org/

New Year's Resolutions

Many people at this time of year feel their motivation waning or already having 

failed them in regards to their New Year's resolutions. The statistics are

staggering and rather disheartening mostly because we don't think through our goals and plan

plan accordingly. Here's to Round 2!

·        Know that most people underestimate their lack of motivation and overestimate 

their willpower.

·        It's good to take an honest, but kind, assessment of the problem/goal. How long

have you been struggling with it? What have been the ramification of the problem

 / not having achieved the goal? What have you learned from previous attempts, 

successful or unsuccessful? What resources do you have at your disposal, internally

and externally?

·        Identify the consequences of doing nothing. You won't be focusing on this but 

it is important to identify these and to make an initial list so that you are honest

with yourself (no avoiding or denial!) and to increase motivation, at least enough

to commit to a plan.

·        Identify the "Reason Why." This is one of the most powerful calls to action. Identify

your emotional and logical positive motivations and remind yourself of them constantly.

·        Make your actions automatic and a part of your schedule so you can't make excuses.

(e.g., exercising first thing in the morning before you've had a chance to get too

busy or pre-making healthy meals so they're readily available.

·        Create short term and long term goals so you don't overwhelm yourself.

·        Create a manageable plan and just trust that it works. Take the steps in the plan,

be patient and simply tweak as you go along.

Naturally, reassess at planned appropriate intervals that make sense and are decided

during planning.   Unfortunately, most people do the opposite....get impatient, 

giving themselves excuses to stop. If that happens to you, don't worry or judge 

yourself. Just start at the top of the list again, and again if needed. 

Balance During The Holidays

The holidays may seem like the worst time to talk about balance as our schedules, stress, eating and more are all off course. But at this time it's good to notice we’re off balance and to accept and acknowledge that this is a natural state as well. Balance is a lifelong goal and we will always waver. Ultimately, the goal is to waver less and to lesser extremes over time.


Often times, the busiest time is the best time to take a break before spiraling out of control. There is some wisdom to the idea that the less time you have for it, the more you need it. The more we get off-balance, the more time and effort it takes to get back on track.

Here are some ways to center and refresh ourselves:
Self-hypnosis, exercise, read a good book, take a walk, hot bath, meditate/pray, laugh, catch up with a friend (even if it's by phone). Sometimes, just sitting for a few moments and breathing deeply through our bellies saves the day. The important thing is to slow down, relax and reconnect with your center.

Benefits of Hypnosis

Hypnosis and self-hypnosis have many applications and benefits but today I’d like to address the little known benefits.  Just the very process of accessing the sub-conscious mind regularly (regardless of the goal) creates the below effects for most people and sometimes more depending on the individual.  Some perceive them as immediate and strong while others hardly notice the connection to these remarkable changes, experiencing them more subtly.

There’s an increases in the brain’s ability to learn, grow and adapt.

Sleep and healing are improved.

The brain continually upgrading and optimizing itself and your life.

Intuition and ability to listen to inner knowing are improved.

One gets stronger messages and realizations on how life can be improved and/or problems solved.

You feel more creative, confident and at ease.

The ability to be more decisive and confident in decisions is increased.

You feel more empowered overall and in control of your life.

A more positive, optimistic and solution-oriented outlook.

More messages and problems solved through dreams.

Life generally goes more smoothly.

These are just a few of the amazing benefits from regular hypnosis.  Feel free to share some of your own experiences privately through email or publicly by posting to my blog at http://greaterachievementshypnosis.blogspot.com/.   I’m sure we’d all love to hear your story!

Perfection vs. Excellence

We all want to do our best and be our best but perfection and excellence are very different.

Perfectionists feel as if they cannot make a mistake and if they do they feel flawed and inferior in some way.  This is simply torture on many levels as mistakes and errors are inevitable, even for the best of us.

Excellence on the other hand, expects errors and mistakes and uses them as an opportunity to learn and improve without judgment. 

So embrace and accept real or perceived mistakes and even welcome them as ultimately positive factors.  Learning to do this as you fine tune your skills and abilities is essential, knowing there is no other way to become a master.

Confidence

Many people think of confidence as something that one either has or doesn't have, but it is actually a skill that can be and should be cultivated.

An exercise I often suggest to clients is to write five things they love about themselves every day. Another way to build confidence is to sit down and write a long list of your positive traits, talents and gifts and to reflect on them for a while, appreciating all that you are and all that you have to offer.

Oftentimes people focus too much on their perceived weaknesses, sometimes in an attempt to perfect themselves, or out of habit or external influences they've taken on. This overly critical focus diminishes our confidence.

Regularly and consistently appreciating our gifts and strengths as well as speaking kindly and lovingly to ourselves cultivates confidence that is unshakable.

Negative Thoughts/Byron Katie...rework

We all have negative thoughts that can be bothersome. These negative thoughts have power only because we believe them to be true and not for the lies that they are. Some are “programs” that can be corrected with hypnotherapy and some can be dealt with on your own on a conscious level.

I frequently teach clients a powerful technique developed by Byron Katie called “The Work”.  It takes only a few minutes and it trains us to question these negative thoughts and free ourselves from their grip.  This technique consist solely of identifying the negative thought and then asking four questions about that thought.  They are:

1. Is it true?
2. Is it absolutely true?
3. How do you feel when you believe that thought?
4. Who would you be without that thought?

Then simply turnaround that statement to the positive equivalent and affirm it to yourself.  It’s that easy!  We can never be completely free of all negative thought, but we can take away their power and live the confident, happy life we deserve.

For examples and/or assistance feel free to schedule an appointment or go to http://thework.com/thework-4questions.php. 

The Happiness Habit

Many people believe that happiness is something that just happens or that it’s circumstantial, but you might be surprised to know that this isn’t true.  Happiness is a skill that can be learned.  Some learn naturally throughout their lives but unfortunately, many people never learn that the power to be happy rests within themselves. 

There are many ways to develop the happiness habit.  Eating healthy foods, exercising and getting enough sleep help us feel much less stressed.  Meditation and/or self-hypnosis help us feel more empowered and enable us to see the world in a happier light.  All of these boost our natural “feel good” chemicals and make us more resilient (to say the least!)

Taking the time in your day to laugh, have fun and spend time with loved ones, even for just a few minutes can remind us of the joys in life.  Also, it’s important to look for inspiration in your life in order to remain optimistic.  Whether it’s a movie, a poem or some good advice, having go-to resources to help direct your perspective in a positive way is key.

Happiness is a choice that we make every moment.  The more you choose it, the easier it is so that the highs of life greatly outweigh the lows.  

Epigenetics

Excerpted from the author of “The Biology of Belief”
 

"The new science of epigenetics recognizes that environmental
signals are the primary regulators of gene activity. As described
in my book, The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of
Consciousness, Matter and Miracles, cells read and respond
to the conditions of their environment using membrane protein
perception switches. Activated switches send signals to control
behavior and regulate the activity of the genes.

This editing process can provide for normal or dysfunctional
protein products from the same gene. You can be born with
healthy genes and through epigenetic processes, express
mutant behaviours, such as cancer. Similarly, you can be born
with defective mutant genes, and through epigenetic mechanisms,
create normal healthy proteins and functions. Perceptions shape
biology and behaviour.

The conventional belief that the genome represents the equivalent
of a computer's 'read-only' program is now proven to be false.
Epigenetic mechanisms modify the readout of genetic the code--
which means that genes actually represent 'read-write' programs,
wherein life experiences actively redefine an individual's genetic
expression. The 'new' biology is based upon the fact that
perception controls behaviour and gene activity!

The control is with YOU."

~ Bruce Lipton

Multitasking

In today’s fast paced world, society encourages the idea of doing as many things at once as possible.

However, since the brain can only think one thought at a time, when we take on multiple tasks, our brains are literally bouncing back and forth betweens them, honoring none of them fully.  When we do this we also scatter our minds and energies, draining us more than if we did one task at a time.

This doesn’t mean that we can’t be fast and efficient.  On the contrary, when we focus on one task at a time, we do it better (and faster) than ever and are then free to move on. Not only that, doing so is healthier for our bodies and minds. 

Many Thanks!

This holiday season marks the completion of 18 years for me as a Hypnotherapist and Instructor. My heart is full as I reflect back over the years to you and so many other wonderful connections and amazing breakthroughs.  

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, perceptions and struggles with me and allowing me to do what I love as well as what you contribute every day to the world.  The value of each individual life is infinite and inestimable!

With an open heart, I share my gratitude as we all welcome a wonderful new year!

An Attitude of Gratitude

Thanksgiving is the ideal time to focus on all there is to be thankful for.  Naturally, at the top of the list are loved ones and a wonderful meal, but also appreciating the very joy of being alive, breathing, thinking, being able to make choices are just as important.

Noticing not just significant things in our lives, but appreciating all that we generally take for granted, is how we develop an attitude of gratitude. The benefits of gratitude are vast including, but not limited to, better health and a longer life, being able to handle challenges more easily, being happier and certainly an improved quality of life.                                       

It helps to make a long list of things to be thankful for and then add to it and reflect on it regularly.  It’s important to develop this attitude so that it stays with us in challenging times as well.  When we do this, we’re sure to live thankfully all year round.