These three proven tips on being grateful to change your life helps to lessen stress and increase bliss. According to Robert Emmons, the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, reveals that being grateful builds stronger im-mune systems, generates higher levels of positive emotions, and creates a more helpful, generous and more compassionate nature.

With all that is going on in the world at large and our personal world it is sometimes hard to be grateful. When it seems as if everything is going awry, as if we are in a whirlwind of negativity, practicing gratitude is the one sure way to find balance.
With all that is going on in the world at large and our personal world it is sometimes hard to be grateful. When it seems as if everything is going awry, as if we are in a whirlwind of negativity, practicing gratitude is the one sure way to find balance.It’s rare for me to awaken in a state of anxiety and panic but this morning was different from the rest. This morning I couldn’t get it together, I felt paralyzed as if I were encased in a fog. And then the ‘mist’ cleared and I felt the sadness all over again. The misery of knowing I couldn’t live like this and I HAD to make a decision.

Growing up my Mom always taught us to choose to be grateful for all things. Even when it looked as if there was ‘no good’ in it; we were taught to be grate-ful and look for the lesson or the learning.

Remembering the lessons from my Mom, I chose to be grateful, make a deci-sion, create a plan and take action. Just this subtle shift in my thinking caused me to feel better and get moving! Living in gratitude is a conscious choice. Choosing my attitude each day is one of the most important ways I live in gratitude.

Living in gratitude allows and helps us to find the ‘gift’ in all that is and all that was. Finding the gift requires attention, intention and mindfulness. De-cide to intentionally look for and focus on the things, no matter how small, that cause you to smile, make your heart sing and/or bring you joy.

Tweet: The ‘gift’ can be humble as watching a butterfly or as bold as treating yourself to that long awaited trip.

Making gratitude a way of life sends the message to and energizes the universe to deliver us every valuable thing this earth offers, and everything our heart earnestly desires.

Use these three tips to ignite your fire for living in gratitude and change your life.

1. Keep a gratitude journal. It’s amazing how keeping a journal helps to keep you on track sparking an attitude of gratitude. Write at least three things daily for which you are grateful. Notice how you feel when writing.

2. Smile. There is something magical in sharing a smile with love ones and strangers. It is a no cost gift that brightens your day and the person re-ceiving the smile.

3. Count your blessings. Blessings come in many ways, look for the hid-den blessings all around you. Saying a blessing over your food is a start.

Living in gratitude opens us to opportunities that were previously not seen. Gratitude calms the mind, body and spirit, energizes and rejuvenates the body, heals the soul, restores health and enhances our creativity. Practice mindful-ness, attention, and intention to reinforce your choice of living in gratitude to live a balanced life. Using these proven tips helps to ensure that you enjoy liv-ing in gratitude.