Develop the Attitude of Gratitude

You've all heard it before. Develop an Attitude of Gratitude. Remember to say please and thank you. Sometimes, frankly, who cares? But we should care. Why?

Well, scientists have found that our brains actually change when we feel gratitude. Yes, life gets better, or at least we are able to handle it better. We think what happens is that we focus on what is good in our lives rather than what is bad.

For instance, here on the farm, we can always see something that needs to be done, or something that needs to be planned or taken care of. It could easily make us frustrated, miserable and tired. Yes, tired even when we are just thinking about the one thousand and one things that "need" doing..

But, instead, we look at nature around us, the beautiful sky, the wonderful animals, the fresh air, the music of the country which is the wind through the trees, the ducks "laughing" on the pond, the dogs barking at a fox. Well, you get the idea. We are grateful for it all and we've just energized ourselves, we are looking forward to the next minute, hour, day, year and decade.

So, try it next time you are frustrated. Be grateful for some things in your life. Can't think of any? Well here are some... you can walk and talk; many can't. You can see and hear, many can't. There are people in your life who love you; many have no one... you add to the list. And to really get in the attitude of gratitude, don't go to sleep at night without thinking of three things you are grateful for... and share those with your partner if you have one... you will be amazed how your life (and your brain) changes.