“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive. I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others. I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”
- The Dalai Lama

Why is Gratitude Such a Big Deal?

When you think about gratitude, even if you don’t share it with another person, it automatically puts you in a space of love.

Here’s a fun practice that illustrates this point: regardless of what’s going on around you, connect to a time in your life when you felt really grateful. Make this memory alive; feel it like it is happening now. Notice how your energy shifts. Gratitude helps you remember the good things in life and change negative thinking into positive thinking. It affects your energy on such a deep level that you attract things for which you are grateful.

Of course if you share your gratitude with other people, they will benefit, too.

Why Do Some People Dislike the Word “Gratitude”

The word gratitude has been overused. People are tired of hearing that they have to make a gratitude list before they go to bed.

They read and hear about the power of gratitude all the time. They get bored and unmotivated because they don’t know how to apply it.

But I’m going to share with you some ways that work. I call this Practical Gratitude.

How Can I Make Gratitude Practical & Fun?

Here are some options. Try them out and invent for own.

1. Think of one thing for which you are grateful (God, sun, Johnny, class, etc.) and using a dry erase marker, write it in one word on your bathroom mirror. You can easily erase it with a tissue at the end of the day.

2. When taking a shower, thank your body for one way it helps you (e.g. walking, holding the stress, sending me messages when I need to rest, etc.)

3. While waiting for your car’s gas tank to be filled at the gas station, thank yourself for one action you took to fuel yourself that day. In other words – for one simple act you took to energize and nurture yourself.

4. Thank one person with whom you’ve had some difficulties when you meet him/her that day. Thank that person for showing up in your life and giving you an opportunity to grow (be kind - wording is everything).

5. Smile unexpectedly . . . especially at others.

6. Write down the Dalai Lama’s quote about gratitude (see above) or another related quote you find inspiring on an index card. Place the card somewhere you approach every day. (Kitchen table, next to your computer) and read it out loud.

7. Download Michal Spiegelman’s FREE 15-min Gratitude Mediation on your computer/ Ipod/Ipone

Choose your favorite Practical Gratitude Tip and do it once a day for one week.

What I am grateful for:

I am grateful for all my clients and all my friends for supporting me in living my dream of making a difference in people’s life.

Please click HERE and enter your info to receive your FREE Gratitude Meditation.

Michal Spiegelman of Balanced Moments successfully helps people worldwide create balance and fulfillment in their lives. As a Life Coach, Michal helps people stretch, get out of their comfort zones, grow and achieve. She holds a degree in social work and has 15 years of experience as an Energy Healer. Michal is a trained facilitator and mentor of the Hoffman Institute, a world-renowned leader in personal development. She is a Certified Professional Life Coach (CPC) trained by the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC).