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4 Ways Gratitude Can Change Your Day … and Your Life · The Daily Writer

• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome everybody to the Born to Create Podcast.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Kent Sanders, and I'm your host.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm an author, musician, and teacher, but most importantly, I'm a husband and a dad.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Here on the show we talk about practices, habits, and strategies that help us live out our creative calling.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode nine, and today we're going to be talking about four ways gratitude can change your day and your life.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: You can find the post that accompanies this episode, as well as all the links, at KentSanders.net slash gratitude.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: One of the most popular holidays in the United States is Thanksgiving Day.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's a day to gather with friends and family and reflect on the blessings of the past year.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's great to have an annual day set aside for giving thanks, but how would it impact our lives if we practiced it every day?
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: That's exactly what I've been trying to do lately.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Over the last few months, I've been making more of an effort to integrate this habit of giving thanks into my daily life, and it's had a profound impact on my overall perspective.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: A while back I heard about the practice of keeping a gratitude journal.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: This sounded like a great idea, so I purchased a small journal, and I've been making an effort to write in it every day.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: There are only three things I write on the page.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: The date, then I write the phrase today I am thankful for, dot dot dot.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: And then I write three things I'm thankful for that day.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: For example, here are some of the items I've written in my gratitude journal over the last few months.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Today I am thankful for nice weather that isn't too hot.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm thankful for the opportunity to choose my attitude and actions each day.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm thankful for a new excitement about my future, a new confidence.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm thankful for a wife who is supportive.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm thankful for making extra money this month.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm thankful for worship rehearsal tonight and the chance to be in a new setting and meet some new people.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm thankful for my son, a great kid who is funny, kind hearted, and caring.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm thankful for feeling like the darkness has lifted a little bit.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: I got a good night's sleep.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: I've been dealing with a little bit of depression the last few days.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm thankful for my wife's job that she loves.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm thankful for my back feeling better after hurting it on a hike three weeks ago.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm thankful for getting into Today I'm thankful for getting a good start on my new book yesterday.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: I limit myself to three items every day to keep it short and sweet.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I write in the morning and sometimes I write in the evening.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I forget about doing it, just to be really honest with you.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: But I try to do it every day, and the whole process literally takes about two minutes.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: As I've tried to integrate this habit into my life the last few months, here are four ways it's changed my overall perspective.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, gratitude helps me take the focus off of my problems.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's easy to get overwhelmed by problems and frustrations in life.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: But when I remember that I'm a truly blessed man, it lifts my spirit and gives me a new energy that makes it easier to deal with problems.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, gratitude helps me be more generous.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: The practice of gratitude reminds me that I've been given many blessings in life.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't earn them, and I definitely don't deserve them.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: In turn, this helps me open my heart to others and be more generous to them.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, gratitude helps me realize that I need other people.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Most of the time when I'm writing in my gratitude journal, my thoughts turn to people who have helped me.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: I think of my family, my students, friends, people from church, other authors and business owners, and many others who've made my life a lot sweeter.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: True gratitude reminds us that there's very little we can accomplish on our own.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: And number four, gratitude helps me be thankful for the little things.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: In one of my journal entries, 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 due to an ear infection.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: I know that's a really small thing that won't mean anything to anybody else except our family, but I was genuinely grateful for it.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: If we can't appreciate the little things in life, how can we truly appreciate the big ones?
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: I would definitely recommend getting a small journal and writing down a few things you're thankful for every single day.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: This habit has truly impacted my life in a subtle but important way over the last few months.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Every day, not just today, should be a day where we celebrate Thanksgiving.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: So what are you thankful for today?
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: And how do you practice a gratitude habit?
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to hear your thoughts.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: You can join the conversation and find the post and the links that accompany this episode at KentSanders.net slash gratitude.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: When you visit my site, you'll find all kinds of great resources to inspire your creativity.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'd also love to share a gift with you when you subscribe to my newsletter.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: You can check it out as well as learn more about my books, writing, and services at KentSanders.net.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to connect and you can send me a tweet at Kent Sanders or find me on Facebook and Instagram at Simply Kent Sanders.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: I hope that you'll also check out our Born to Create Facebook group by visiting KentSanders.net slash Facebook group.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, remember that you were born to create and designed to make a difference.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: What will you do with the time you have left?