I’m delighted to share this article which was first published at Huffington Post Contributor Platform.
Enjoy the read and please pass it along.

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What’s the state of your personal gratitude account? Maxed or empty?

• How much appreciation and thanks do you have in your mind and heart right now?
• How conscious and active are you in growing, expressing and maintaining your gratitude?
• If you knew you could be 30 percent happier and stronger by working on your own personal gratitude, would you invest all you could?

In Praise of Gratitude, from the Harvard Mental Health Letter, states:

…gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships…regardless of the inherent or current level of someone’s gratitude, it’s a quality that individuals can successfully cultivate further.

Cultivating gratitude is the smart and easy way to enrich your life.

Gratitude benefits

Gratitude is a positive and natural choice. And…It’s also free. It costs you nothing but time and your personal daily commitment.

As hard and challenging as life is with moment to moment tensions, stress, anxieties, the qualities of gratitude are always in you — thankfulness, giving, kindness and appreciation. You can connect with them instantly and feel better by being grateful.

You’ll profit by shifting your attention from the dark of your life to ease and abundance. Expressing gratitude reduces troubles and promotes goodness.

If you have photos you like, a favorite piece of music, spending time with family or friends, whatever you do to have honest pleasure, that’s gratitude. It has meaning and powerful effects on you.

Liking things, appreciating what’s good increases self-esteem and reduces fears. It builds hope and joy.

When you’re thankful you’re confident and happier.

Gratitude always increases you. You’re more yourself. Not less. Smart people get gratitude. It’s a daily part of their healthy life styles. Gratitude is precious stuff and should be vigilantly taken care of in yourself and others.

Ingratitude or courage

What effect do you think ingratitude has on your mind and heart?

Anger, selfishness, resentment, ill will, dishonesty, bitterness, coldness, manipulation, greed.

These negative emotions weaken and drag you down; annihilating your deepest hope for happiness. Gratitude promotes life. It’s optimistic. Practical. It takes courage and brains to be grateful. We all suffer at times. I’m not saying ignore sadness or pain but stop and think about gratitude.

Finding one thing you like or can learn from the person causing you grief or the impossible situation you’re living through counters your unhappiness — opposes negativity — pulls you away from trouble and gives new perspective.

Gratitude clears the way for positive choice and change. It motivates and moves you into a higher place so you feel better. Hopeful. Strong.

When you appreciate things you’re kinder. Gratitude boosts you physically and emotionally.

Gratitude makes you rich

When you’re hungry, you feel weak. As soon as you eat you feel stronger, more alert and alive.

Nourishing yourself with gratitude does the same thing. It builds up your entire body, mind and spirit.

You have a mammoth gratitude savings account in you to deposit as much good feeling, thanks, and positive emotions as you like. It’s your personal reserve for strength and happiness — open for business 24/7/365.

If I’m stressed, tired, overwhelmed with work or projects, I tap right into my gratitude and write it down:

“I’m grateful for stars at night…grateful for good health…grateful for having true love these past 24 years…blue sky, fresh water, the joy my dog ‘Tulla’ always shows me and others.”

Immediately I get some peace and clarity. Then I move about, get unstuck and breathe more deeply. I’m enhanced and enriched. I’m more than I was. More myself.

Gratitude frees me; relaxes and powers me up with purpose. I think better and I’m happier.

Happens every single time for me and it’s not Life Coaching *bibbity bobbity boo* magic. It’s scientific.

My life is immensely good because I study, practice and benefit from the emotion of gratitude

Six strategic steps to fill up your gratitude account

1. Call it *intentional gratitude* or *conscious appreciation* but build a new habit of expressing gratitude frequently. It will make you feel fortunate, powerful and kind.

2. Create a specific daily mantra for yourself — a prayer, wish, vow or commitment —
‘I am grateful for_______________’. Have it in your mind. Say it to people. Write it in notes and emails.

3. *Thank you* takes one second to say. Consciously look to express it and do good things often.
Don’t miss an opportunity to be thankful.

4. Start a Daily Gratitude Journal – Write 3 things you’re grateful for every night before bed.

5. How does gratitude live in the world? Look for examples in music, art, literature, daily life, history, people you see and know. Document the gratitude you find.

6. Acknowledge negativity and counter it with genuine appreciation and thanks.

“The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be
to start being grateful for what you have right now.
And the more grateful you are, the more you get.” – Oprah

Thanks – Michael

Please pass this along to others looking to increase their gratitude.
And, here’s another post you may like – How Much Kindness Can You Afford?