I started the Optimist Group because I did not like all the gloom and doom that is constantly and consistently deluging our World.  Enough lamenting, please!!!

Show me the Hope!  Show me the Gratitude!  Show me the Optimism!  Merely being alive is a minor miracle.  Virtually millions of systems have to work in unison in order for each one of us to wake up in the morning.  Our days are numbered.  Why not make the best of them?

If you are going to compare your life to the perceived existence of the superstars, your days will not be too sunny.   Instead, just look around you and notice the many that are so much less fortunate than yourself.  When you feel depressed, just spend an hour in a nursing home or a hospital; I assure you, you’ll come out of there skipping and counting your blessings!

…Which brings me full circle to today’s topic:  Keeping a Gratitude Journal.  Write down five things you are grateful for right now.  Yes, right now!  Just do it, and then come back and finish reading the blog.  Trust me on this one!

Thank you for complying with my request!  Don’t you feel better now?  All the silly little things like bills and deadlines sure don’t seem as important anymore, when you consider the BIG things that you have been blessed with.

For those of you fortunate enough for have an I-Phone (yet another thing to be grateful for), you can download the Gratitude Application for a mere dollar.  I have it.  I use it.  I love it!   The journal is visually pleasing and cute.   You can attach a picture to your entry, enjoy inspirational quotes after you post and have it all neatly organized by the date.  You can even rate your day from one to five stars. 

Start today: write down five things you are grateful for on a daily basis for the next two months and you’ll see how much your life will change!

Life is Short.  Live it Well!  Gratitude is the seed of happiness...

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Connection              Join The Optimist Group!