On a recent trip I was reminded of my own powerlessness and the importance of gratitude.

When we first arrived at the hotel my husband was quick to tell me I was “a trooper.” I didn’t want to be a trooper. What I wanted was a nice hotel room. At the end of the day I was able to find gratitude and focus on the good things the hotel did have to offer. I checked those points of gratitude against my actual physical needs and realized it was enough.

Having the ability to make a gratitude list is essential to living a beautiful life. This practice was first taught to me when I got sober and frankly I wasn’t always keen to do it. Twenty-five years ago I would become irritated when I would share complaints with a sponsor and they would instruct me to write a gratitude list. Over the years it became not only a practice, but a way of thinking. I am not suggesting that we become Pollyannas and ignore pain or negative situations because we must recognize and address the things that are not working in our lives.

When we have the skills to redirect our thoughts we can change our lives for the better.

Sometimes it’s hard to get to a place of considering what is positive in our lives. I get this completely. I highly recommend that everyone start a gratitude practice. Every time we focus on the good things that are happening we are building new, more positive neural pathways. Over time they become stronger and more easily accessed. My own gratitude practice has morphed from writing a daily list of five entries to a meditation that simply includes three things. This list teaches me to look for the simple things to be grateful for all day. Here’s an example of one of my lists:

a person (someone I love)
sobriety (what I’ve accomplished in my life)
something very simple (sunshine on my face)

I am grateful for the lessons and experience of my trip because it reminded me of my own growth. Today I have the ability to look for the good in my life. I urge everyone to start a gratitude practice.

—Kristina Dennis, life coach