Even experts agree that it's not always easy to find the goodness in life, especially when money is tight and you're faced with worries about the planet, your job, national security, or your family. And, unfortunately, these worries can often cloud your entire mind, bring your mood down, bring those around you down, and affect your overall quality of life.

If you feel like you're being followed by the ominous black cloud of negativity, then it's time to actively find something to be grateful for in your life. You may be surprised that there is much more to be grateful for than you might realize.

The Bigger Picture: 5 x 5

If you're plagued by negative thoughts, the first step is to actually stop what you are doing or engaged in and find a quiet place. Finding a space of five minutes can make all the difference, and yes, this can be done in the midst of chaos with some practice. Next, list five simple things that you are grateful for in your life. It could be the fact that you can see, read, or can breathe. Those blessings are far from mundane to those who do not have them. There was a time when I could not hear at all and am now deaf in one ear. I am profoundly grateful that I can hear and while I may have the wherewithal to repair the deafness in my other ear through surgery that is still in the experimental stages, I have chosen not to and instead embrace the gifts that having the deafness has brought into my life.

The Smaller Picture

When life is moving at a rapid pace we tend to forget to give thanks for the minor things. Small matters, such as finding the car keys in time to get to work or getting a restful night of sleep before an important day, can be easily overlooked when creditors are calling or there are harsh deadlines looming.

Stop and simply breathe, first of all. Breath is life. Remember that what focus on-whether we perceive it to be good or bad-- expands. Practice becoming more aware of where you are placing your attention and you'll soon realize that with awareness comes change.

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. ~Mary Engelbre

Setbacks and the Zen of Moving Forward

There's no denying that we all suffer setbacks in life and personal growth does not occur while we're in neutral. As my Gram used to say "if you're not growing, you're rotting and if you're rotting you're dying." So why not choose life?

While it may be difficult to be grateful during these growth periods, it's important to remember that good can and generally does come from difficult and challenging situations. If I hadn't suffered what some would consider a tremendous personal devastation a number of years ago, I would not have ended up with my husband, a man who is also my best friend, nor would I be living where I do now. If I hadn't chosen to be with my father during his death labor and passing, I would not have let go of a profitable business venture that, in retrospect, was completely out of alignment with who I am and what I really wanted to do with my life. At the time, both of these challenges seemed like terrifying and nearly insurmountable setbacks, both personally and financially.

Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don't have any problems, you don't get any seeds. ~Norman Vincent Peale

Is It My Turn Again?

For example, if you've recently lost your job, focus on the gratitude you have for the skills you have acquired rather than putting your energy into the how or why around the loss of the job or the perceived lack of work in your field. Acknowledge that your life is in flux and focus forward, not on the rearview mirror of where you've been. While it isn't always easy to be thankful for life's setbacks, especially when those setbacks are seemingly coming one right after the other, remember that those setbacks are there to challenge us to be stronger, wiser, and a more improved version of the person we are right now. The true test of our attitude is to be thankful for the obstacle ahead of each of us--even if we don't understand why it exists in the first place.

There is no education like adversity. ~Disraeli

Today is a New Day

Starting each day with an Attitude of Gratitude can be life changing. I personally begin each day by sending a note of love, appreciation or encouragement to someone no matter what my own set of circumstances may be-and in the recent year they have been a true test of faith on so many levels. Yet, as Leo Buscaglia says, "Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy." I believe in choosing to live each day joyfully. I invite you to do the same.