The secret to having greater well-being is not only to feel more gratitude, but also to cultivate feelings of thankfulness.

Today, both psychologists and sociologists have shown that people with high levels of gratitude sleep better, handle transitions more effectively, and are more resilient in stressful situations. This is not a new idea. Even as far back as 54 B.C. Cicero the philosopher and statesman said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

With Thanksgiving just a couple days away, many of us are focusing on gratitude, even when we are facing challenging situations or difficult people. I can easily access gratitude by thinking of my children, and just like that, a grin spreads across my face. I look at a picture of my granddaughter in dance class and my heart fills with joy. I think of my daughter’s dog, Frankie, and I start laughing. I think of my godson Sam, and love spills over. I think of countless friends, and I am entirely grateful that they’re in my life.

I feel such deep gratitude for these people that all I have to do is think of one of them, and I feel peaceful and happy. These are friends and family that have traveled with me on the road of life, and can be called on for guidance, love, and a reminder of what’s possible.

Feelings of gratitude can happen with a person you love, a place in nature you appreciate, or a random act of kindness you witness or experience. Suddenly your spirits are lifted and your overall well-being is impacted. Nothing changed in the circumstances of your life, and everything changed in the moment of gratitude. It’s as if a space opened up to appreciate life just as it is.

We can also think of certain people or situations, and immediately feel just the opposite. Instead of feelings of gratitude or appreciation, we feel bitterness or resentment. So how do we begin to cultivate gratefulness every day of the year, and bring more well-being into our lives and the lives of others?

Gratitude can open a door through the wall of the ego that keeps us separate, and soften our views towards others. When we begin to soften our thoughts and hearts, it’s the beginning of seeing things as they are, and bringing more compassion and gratefulness into the world.

How do you soften your view? Have you ever looked at those paintings that have another picture hidden inside? The way you find it is to relax and let go of the image you’re holding. Then something new pops onto the canvas that can’t be seen or appreciated when you’re holding on to the image you first see. Gratefulness softens your view, and gives you an opportunity to release the hidden message, and heal your heart.

Start where you are, and let your gratefulness naturally extend to include everyone. It will grow through your practice, and you’ll begin to notice what you may have missed through a rush to judgment, or hanging on to misunderstandings.

One way to invite in the experience of gratefulness is through a thank you prayer. My thank you prayer has sustained me throughout my life with an underlying reassurance that if nothing else was added, what I have is enough.

This is a good place to start your gratefulness practice.

1. Create a thank you prayer. Allow yourself to know that you are whole, perfect, and complete just the way you are, and where you are, at this moment in your life.

2. Invoke your prayer with people & events you love, and with people & events you feel separate from. Let compassion be your guide to reveal any hidden messages that inspire your practice of thankfulness.

3. Give yourself the gift of giving to others. You will never be the same again.

The power of gratitude is never lost on me anytime of the year, and yet it still spreads through me like a welcome surprise, when it fills my heart on giving a hand when needed, saying a kind word, or spreading a message of hope. When I receive a special note from friends, or an email of awe inspiring pictures, it reminds me of the beauty, kindness, and generosity of spirit that’s here every day.

Let today be a continuous thank you prayer. Be well my friends.

My love goes with you as you practice this Uplifting Moment