Gratitude

From Gratitude knows that there is always a gift, by Annie Mueller:

Whatever it is, let me start it with gratitude.

Gratitude is fertile ground. Put in the seeds of your dreams and desires. Keep the ground watered and pull the weeds. Soon the seeds will grow.

(Conversely, worry is fertile ground for all your fears. Stay worried and you will harvest an abundance of fears.)

I’ve been historically cynical on the “practice gratitude, and your emotional state will improve” front—part of a larger pre-installed cynicism package—but empirical evidence from recent years suggests I was wrong.

If Lisa and I are in a funk at bedtime, focusing on things we’re worried about, things that went wrong that day, switching gears and simply sharing 5 things we’re grateful for has proved a helpful system reboot, time after time.