How to Improve Your Life is 60 Seconds a Day

Gratitude is the opposite of fear and anxiety. When we tap into our feelings of thankfulness it changes our perspective. Right now if we decided to focus completely on our blessings, and be in the state of gratitude, then our mood would change. 

How do we get to this wonderful place of thankfulness? By focusing on what is good in our life right now. While we may be in the midst of a storm, there are still many things in our life that we can appreciate. So often we focus on the big moments, and neglect to see all of the beautiful moments that happen daily. 

Hugs, smiles, kind words, sunrises, sunsets, being in nature, and praying to God are just a few things that we can find joy in every day. When we stop finding joy in a hug or a smile, and are too busy to stop and enjoy nature, then we deprive ourselves. We need these moments through out our day to balance out the stress and worry we often feel. 

Right now, I encourage you to take out a notebook or grab a gratitude journal, and write down three things that you are thankful for. Do this every day. It only takes a minute, but the effects of it will last all day. When we train our minds to do this every morning, then we are setting ourselves up for a great day. 

Below is an example from my gratitude journal.

1. Quiet moments with God.
2. Morning coffee
3. Forgiveness

Psalm 26:7 (KJV)

7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

You might also like my blog post How to Live in a State of Gratitude. 

Have a wonderful day!

Love and blessings,

Candida

How to Live in a State of Gratitude

The Monday after vacation is always so hard. It’s usually the first day back into our routine, the first day back to work, and the first day when the after vacation blues set in. This morning I would love to be sitting on the deck, overlooking the water, with the same peace and gratefulness that I experienced on vacation. 

When we arrived at the lake house, and I experienced my first glimpse of the beautiful scenery, my heart immediately started extending gratitude to my Lord. As I breathed in the air, along with the peace and serenity, I was so grateful. And every few moments, I would whisper a thank you to Him. All of the stress of the previous weeks and months disappeared in those first few moments. And I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be possible to take the feeling home with me. 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could start every day with a peaceful and grateful heart? Imagine how much greater our lives would be, if we could learn to live in a state of gratitude. The reason we don’t get to a place of thankfulness every day is because we wait for the big moments in our life in order to feel grateful. So often we don’t appreciate the small things in our daily life. But if we could master the skill of gratitude, our lives would transform. When we feel gratefulness, our stress and worry diminishes. 

I know you’re probably thinking, this all sounds great, but how do I get there? How can I live in a state of gratitude? Here is my top three ways:

1. List three things you are grateful for each morning. And make sure they are three different things each day. Instead of just writing them down or saying them, feel them. Welcome that feeling into your heart. 
2. Pray and read His word daily. When we give ourselves a few minutes to talk to God, our whole day will be better. We should ask Him to lead us, guide us, and give us a Godly perspective on life. 
3. Live joyfully. We need to train our minds to see the good in every situation. 

When we can master these skills, our lives will transform. We don’t need it all to be joyful, we just need to learn how to appreciate what we already have. 

Happy Monday!

Candida