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Gratitude Changes Everything · The Daily Writer

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Hey my friend, welcome to this episode of the Daily Writer.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: This is the podcast where we share a lesson each day to help you cultivate the habits for creative success.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: So glad you're here with me today.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: You know, on this podcast, we focus heavily on writing habits because they help immensely in getting our writing done.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Good writing habits don't just involve things like productivity or trying to hit your word count.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: One of the most important writing habits that you can ever develop is to make a gratitude list every day.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Over the last couple of years, I've been making more of an effort to integrate this habit of giving thanks into my daily life.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I've got to tell you, it's had a really profound impact on my perspective and my attitude.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: A while back, I heard about this practice of keeping a gratitude journal, and it sounded like a great idea, so I purchased a small journal and I've been making an effort to write in it as many times a week as I can.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: There are only three things that I write on the page.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: I write the date, I write today I am thankful for, and then I write three things that I'm actually thankful for that day.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: For example, here are some of the items that I've written in my gratitude journal over the last year.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful for the opportunity to choose my attitude and my actions every day.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful for a new ghostwriting client.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful to have a wife who's really supportive of my business and my writing.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful to have an awesome son.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: He's a great kid who is funny, kind-hearted, and caring.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm grateful for my back feeling better after I heard it when I went on a hike a few weeks ago.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'm grateful for getting a good start on my next book.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: So those are just a few examples of the things that I write down in my gratitude journal.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I limit myself to three items every day to keep it short and sweet.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I write in the morning, sometimes I write in the evening, and to be honest with you, sometimes I just forget about doing it altogether.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: But I try to do it every day, and the whole process literally takes like 60 seconds.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: So as I've tried to integrate this habit into my life the past year or two, here are four ways that it has changed my overall perspective.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, gratitude helps me take the focus off of my problems.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the problems and the frustrations that we have in life.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: But when we remember that we're truly blessed, it lifts our spirits and it gives us a new energy that makes it easier to deal with the problems right in front of us.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, gratitude helps us be more generous.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: The practice of gratitude reminds me that I have been given many blessings in life.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't earn them, and I definitely don't deserve them.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: In turn, this helps me open my heart to help other people be more generous.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, gratitude helps me realize that I need other people.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Most of the time when I'm writing in my gratitude journal, my thoughts turn to people who have helped me in some way or people who have blessed me.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I think of my family, friends, clients, authors, members of my writing community, and a lot of other people who've made my life sweeter in so many ways.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that true gratitude reminds us that there's very little we can accomplish on our own.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: And then finally, number four, gratitude helps me be thankful for the little things.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: In one of my journal entries not too long ago, I wrote that I was thankful for being able to take our Australian Shepherd, Madison, to the vet because I knew she was in pain because she had an ear infection.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I know that's really a small thing and that's completely insignificant to anybody except people in our family and to the dog.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: But I was honestly just genuinely grateful for it.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: I was grateful that, hey, we we live in a time and a place and in an area where we can take our dog to the vet and she can feel better.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: She doesn't have to suffer with an ear infection.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I think if we if we can't appreciate the little things in life, how can we truly appreciate the big things?
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: So, with all that said, I would definitely recommend getting a small journal and writing down a few things you're thankful for every day.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: This habit has truly impacted my life in a subtle but important way over the last couple of years.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I encourage you to give this a try and to keep a gratitude journal every day for the next week.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, here's today's daily question How would gratitude help improve your attitude and help you become a better human being as well as a more effective rider?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening to today's episode.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: For more, you can visit us at dailyriderlife.com.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, and I'll see you tomorrow.