“We don’t need more to be thankful for, we just need to be more thankful.” –Carlos Castaneda

Isn’t it funny how much your mindset impacts your life?? Your perception of your circumstances often determines your attitude. And we all know that a bad attitude makes EVERYTHING worse.

Imagine this- you wake up late and run out the door to work. You’ve got no time to make breakfast so you skip it and feel your tummy grumble as you hop in the car. You glance into the mirror and realize just how terrible your hair looks (talk about bed head!). Ugh! You’re swiftly driving to work when someone suddenly cuts you off. You feel frustration and anger building inside you… plus. at this point your starving and you can sense your under-caffeinated self getting grumpy. When you finally pull up to work, all the convenient parking spots are obviously taken. Oh, and naturally it’s raining. At this point, you’re MAD. You walk into work and snap at the first co-worker that cheerfully says “good morning.” Unfortunately, your perception (and the way you respond to all these events) sets the tone for the rest of your day.

Now imagine the exact same situation, but try approaching it with an attitude of gratitude. When you wake up late, you’re thankful for the extra sleep you got and you’re glad that you can still make it to work on time. You glance in that rear view mirror and you’re thankful that you always wear a hair tie on your wrist. When that person cuts you off on the highway, you say a little prayer thanking God that it didn’t result in a car accident. When you get to work and have to park far away, you take it as a sign that you could probably use the extra steps. Plus, the rain is an opportunity to use your bright and cheery umbrella (I keep the cutest one in my car and I swear it makes rainy days better). Then when you see your smiling coworker, you’re reminded of how grateful you are to work with such friendly people. Of course, missing breakfast is never fun, but then you remember the yummy gluten free protein bar you stashed in your purse. You take a deep breath and nibble it peacefully at your desk while you work. You suddenly realize just how good it tastes when you are that hungry! With an attitude of gratitude you can face the exact same situation and yet have a completely different experience!

Gratitude changes EVERYTHING. For the next 30 days (starting June 1st) I’m challenging myself to think of something I’m grateful for every single day. I’ll be sharing my 30 Days of Gratitude on my Instagram stories and I encourage YOU to think of all the things YOU’RE thankful for, too. Let’s see if it doesn’t make a difference in the way YOU respond, but also in the way others respond to YOU.

Happiness is a CHOICE that starts with an attitude of gratitude!

What are you grateful for today?