Daily Gratitude: This kind of goes along with the dream quote we had. I bet if you look around you, you’ll see you have so much to be grateful for. When we’re grumpy and wishing we had something else, we forget all the good things. That, then, detracts from the positive energy you should be feeling from all that’s around you. But, what’s most important, are those things that are not material. If you have love and family and friends, you have all you really need. Material things can be replaced. Life cannot. Think of the hurricane victims and all they lost. But people have rallied around them to help lift them up in whatever way they can. That is our responsibility as human beings. When you can lift up others and share your gifts with them (gifts of love and kindness are the most important kinds of gifts), that is the way to keep yourself and others afloat. Don’t dwell on what you don’t have. Instead, dwell on your appreciation for what you do have.

Daily Gratitude: When something unexpected pops up in your path, it may be perceived as good or bad, depending on your history, experience and upbringing. We’ve discussed that several times. When something appears to be a problem, try to look at in a different way. This is not that easy because past trauma(s) (of any degree) may have heightened someone’s nervous system so they default to fear and even panic in the presence of the unexpected. If you start with little things and ask yourself this question, it may help train that frightened nervous system into becoming a bit more calm. Instead of asking “whether overcoming it (or succeeding at something) is possible”, just ask “how can i overcome or conquer this; how can i handle this in order to get it to work?” As usual, it’s a matter of perspective. Try to get yourself excited by trying to figure out how to solve some problem. As I said, start with tiny things – the ones that don’t matter if you do or don’t solve them. That will help alleviate a lot of the pressure you feel. When these puzzles are unimportant, this becomes a game and you can have fun working on it, knowing there isn’t something major at stake. After you’ve done these several times, you’ll be ready to move up in the difficulty scale. Do this gradually and it will just become second nature to you.