“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

Dear ELLEN, “Next to “I love you,” and their name, “thank you” are the sweetest words a person can hear. What you may not know is that they are also some of the sweetest to say.  Gratitude makes you feel good. Robert Emmons from University of California Davis and Michael McCollough of Southern Methodist University conducted a study on the impact of gratitude on well-being.  Several hundred study participants were divided into three groups. One asked to keep a journal of anything that happened each day; the second was asked to write about unpleasant experiences and the third group was asked to make a gratitude list.  The people in the third group reported making better choices, felt more resilient, reported improvement in their relationships, made more progress toward their goals, felt more enthusiastic and energetic, and reported significantly less stress than the other two groups. Gratitude is perhaps the most important spiritual practice, yet most of us take what we appreciate for granted and never realise the importance of acknowledging our appreciation. Here’s an example:  Once there was a man who took excellent care of his family. For 30 years, he had spent his days hard at work, taking care of the family’s finances and fulfilling everyone’s needs and wants. He made a great effort to ensure everyone’s well-being and happiness.  In the process, he sacrificed his own dreams but because he loved his family so much, he didn’t mind so much. One day, a close friend complimented him. “You are such a great guy! You have given so much to your family - your entire life! You have really sacrificed a lot and I admire you for that.” On hearing this, the man’s eyes welled up with tears.  His friend became concerned. “Hey, I’m sorry, did I say something wrong? I was just appreciating you for the way you take care of your family. What happened?”  The man looked at his friend, tears still in his eyes, and said, “I have been waiting my whole life to hear this. All I wanted was for someone to appreciate me and YOU are the first person to tell me this. Nobody in my family has once said thanks to me.” Saying this, the man began sobbing again. Did that make you get the tissues out? So appreciate the people in your life! But there’s more to gratitude. Being grateful for everything in your life shifts your focus from what is wrong and lacking in your life to what is good and abundant. It makes you happier, strengthens relationships, makes you more immune to life’s ups and downs, and has a host of health benefits as well. If you want to be 25% happier right now, practice gratitude. That doesn’t mean everything in your life is wonderful - but you are aware of what is good, and even better, you start looking for the good in people and situations. Whenever you’re faced with adversity, ask, “What is the blessing here? How can I benefit from this?” It might take some digging, and time, but eventually you’ll uncover a silver lining. A gratitude practice doesn’t take long. First thing in the morning, while you’re busy getting ready for the day - even while you’re brushing your teeth and getting dressed - start naming some things, situations and people you are grateful for. In the evening, you can do like I do: a short evening gratitude meditation. Strive for 10 minutes just before bed (longer if you want, of course) but even half that is beneficial.  Just start naming the things you’re grateful for that day.  If you can’t think of anything good that happened on that day, start listing the nice people in your life, your home, your possessions, fun experiences you’ve had, a good day you remember, aha moments, something delicious you ate recently, any miracles, insights, wisdom or inspiration you had recently…  … and don’t forget to thank the people who annoy you, the problems you encountered, the challenges you faced, the stress you felt, the times you caught yourself thinking or behaving in a way that disempowered you and the times you noticed you were burdened with negative emotions.  It takes courage to look into unwanted situations and find the hidden blessings but it’s a way to transmute them into something better. If you do this 5-10 minute meditation every day for a month, you will have conditioned yourself to see the good in life.  And guess what?  Your positive attitude will rub off. It will positively affect the people around you, as well as making you a lot happier and more at peace. It feels GOOD to be grateful - genuinely and wholeheartedly grateful!  Words aren’t always necessary. Be joyful; take care of your possessions to show your appreciation; help others; find the magic in life (let go of any jaded “been there, done that” attitude); pay it forward and take the time to stop, look around you, and give thanks for this magnificent life. “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” - Gilbert K. Chesterton “If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart Finally, I would like to say thank you. I am grateful to have this opportunity to connect with you today.  To a simpler more fulfilling life, Steven Johnson Co-founder Brainwave Research UK