Daily Gratitude: Have you ever asked for a “sign” about something? Then what happens? You look around and everything you see turns into a potential sign and you spend a lot of time wondering “if that was it”. This quote is so spot on. We have to slow down if we want to get the messages the universe has for us. I know that personally the universe got tired of sending me so many signs that I never got. Why didn’t I get them? I was way too busy to pay attention. What a shame. But you know what? The universe forced me to slow down so that I had no choice but to listen. And believe me when I say that you never want the universe to put a barreling train in front of you as you stand there on the tracks oblivious to its arrival. Why not? Because you won’t win. The universe always wins. And that’s a good thing because it is much much smarter than you are. I don’t know why it takes so long for us to recognize this fact. If we could just force ourselves to look around and pay attention to what’s going on around us, we’d be so much better off. So take some time to figure out how you can slow down and look and listen. Then do it.

Daily Gratitude: Can you take a few minutes to think about this quote? Can you see how you have received much more than you have ever given? Sometimes we have to write things down. Writing is much better than talking anyway and it engages more of your brain. Why not take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side list all the things you’ve received (I’m pretty sure you’ll need more than one page for this exercise). In the other column put all the things you’ve given. How long do you think this will take? If you do it well, I think it could take a few days. So, I wouldn’t engage in it in a half-hearted way. Do this if you really want to see all the blessings the universe has bestowed upon you. You can even ask yourself “what will I get out of doing this?” After all, that’s what we seem to think about most of the time isn’t it? “What’s in it for me?” I think that if you do this, you’ll find out that a whole lot has been in it for you. And that maybe it’s time you tried to even the odds and start giving more back? Maybe, just maybe….

Daily Gratitude: This kind of goes along with the idea of making a bullet list of happy moments. When you wake up in the morning, plan for a happy day. How? By declaring that you are going to experience everything that happens to you in a wonderful light and thank the universe for any and all lessons, or gifts, it’s going to give you today. Remember that things aren’t bad or good, they just are. It’s how we respond and interpret them that will determine our happiness. So wouldn’t it be better and more productive to look at anything and everything that happens to you and say out loud (or to yourself) “I declare it good!” Catherine Ponder taught that many years even before i learned about metaphysics and you may have heard others adopt it (like Jocko Willink’s “good”). When something lasts over decades and is passed down AND adopted, you can pretty much tell that it’s valuable information. So, start today as a new day, declare everything that happens as “good” (practice doing it even with the things that you already deem to be good so that it becomes a habit) and keep track of your happiness bullets.