.gratitude.

The other day I stopped at Target to get a few things on my way home. As I was checking out, the cashier asked me a question, but it was not the standard, "how are you today?" Rather, he asked, "is your day all you hoped it would be?" It really made me stop and reflect for a second, in a way that "how are you today?" doesn't.  After I took that extra second to think about it, the answer was YES and it felt amazing to realize it. I think the cashier was trying to be quirky and not necessarily to provoke self-reflection, but his twist on the usual banality allowed me a moment of intense gratitude while I reflected on my day, and I felt my smile go from face, all the way down to my toes.

Studies show that practicing gratitude will actually make you happier in the long run. In the same way that misery loves company, so does happiness. It can also reduce anxiety, help you fall asleep, and help keep you healthy.

One of my friends and fellow teacher trainees passed on this quote, which is a real thinker:

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." -- Buddha

Okay, so I know we can't all be the Buddha, and sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the trees. But even on the worstest, most awfullest,  most crummiest days (actually, ESPECIALLY on those days!) try and think of one small thing you're grateful for: hot coffee in the morning, your pet waiting for you when you get home, or the feeling of your favorite sweater still warm from the dryer. It doesn't have to be anything big. Trust me, though. You'll thank me. 

Grateful for this doofus? Totally. :)

.shanti.