Happy Thanksgiving!
We all have so much to be thankful for. When things are going well in our lives it is easy to come up with ideas of things we appreciate. During difficult times it can be more challenging to bring thoughts of gratitude to mind.
My senior year of high school, a friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer. Her attitude and zest and appreciation for life all throughout her treatment was very striking. She had given me a “Gratitude Journal” as a Christmas gift. It was a hard-bound book and had one page for every day of the year. Each night for one year, I wrote down 5 things I was grateful for. Looking back, I remember it being a great way to reflect on my day and the exercise helped calm my mind and refocus my energies and thoughts in a more positive way. (My friend had a full recovery and years later I reunited with her at a high school reunion) 
This year I encourage you to begin a gratitude practice. In any way that you see fit, you can start coming up with things, people, situations, events in your life that you are grateful for. Maybe begin a journal, do this practice silently, or share your thoughts with a trusted friend or family member.
For example: I am grateful for the warm weather we’re getting in the Northeast in November, perfect for hiking. I am grateful that I have a washing machine in my home so I don’t have to go to the laundromat in the rain. I am grateful for the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and learn about other cultures because it helps me to be a more understanding and tolerant person, I am grateful to my high school friend who shared this great gift in the midst of her fight with cancer…
Soon, you’ll begin to recognize the gifts of great abundance in your life that you might not have paid attention to or given much thought to before you started! It will fill you up with appreciation and thanks that will spread to those around you and have awesome effects–give it a try and see what happens!
I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback about your gratitude practice. Maybe you are already expressing gratitude in your own way. If so, I’d love to hear about it. Please share your comments below!
White Mountains, NH, A. Andiorio