This week has been flooded with gratitude. Thanks to all of you my dear accountability partners, that I was reminded of memories from my childhood… something I so clearly left behind. And although some memories may not be fond, each one of them holds the key to my path. The path I have taken so far. The path that has made me who I am today. The path that is taking me into my future.

I wonder what the future will be like, 5 years from now or may be 10. And how long will I live? Will life keep bing as meaningful as it seems today? I am a bit too curious.

As we come to an end of yet another marvellous week, I am thankful I have had the opportunity to learn from a plethora of life experiences. TO understand that it is the toughest experiences that teach us the hardest of lessons.

To sum up, gratitude is like oxygen. We may be able to survive without it for thirty seconds, a minute tops. Similarly, life is incomplete and lacks that rainbow of happiness when we do not thank it for all we have. The good, the bad, sometimes even the worst. I always believe, no matter what, the best is yet to come. And its speed is directly proportional to the positive energy we embody. And positivity is an offspring of gratitude. They say, what you focus on, grows in life. I’d say, it’s a no-brainer.

So here are some tools to trick you into practising gratitude daily, just in case it seems tough:

1. Have 3 jars in your living room – Gratitude, Complain, Surrender. As the name suggests, write down your feelings on a piece of paper on a daily basis and get it off your chest via the relevant jar.
2. Thank at least one person or thing every single day. Do it out loud and directly. Let the beneficiary know they have made a difference to your life.
3. Say a thank you prayer before bed each night. I remember having a prayer after class in school daily. It was a gratitude prayer.
4. No matter how bad your day, how spoilt your mood and how erratic your temper, breathe. Take at least 5 seconds off before reacting. If possible, refrain from reacting. Choose a respond instead. And journal your experience. You may not find it easy to go from Yin to Yang overnight. But over a period of days or months maybe, you will see the light at the end of the tunnel.
5. Do something pleasantly surprising for someone every single day. If you cannot find anyone to do something for, water your plants and talk to them. Like they are your babies.

Give yourself at least a month with the tool / tools of your choice. If a month seems daunting, take it one day at a time. Keep going. Have an accountability partner, just like you are mine!

P.S. Can’t wait to hear how your gratitude journey unfolds. If any of these words are able to bring you even the slightest bit of peace or happiness, I will feel immensely grateful.