I’ve recently caught myself reflecting on just how grateful I am in life: I’m able to help so many people – every single day I’m doing the work that I love, all whilst making a great income through my very own business!

Now, we’re all in different positions, we all have different jobs and life set-ups – but one thing remains true for every human being – each of us has so much to be grateful for… to be ‘full of great’!

Starting with the simple things like the air in our lungs; our partner, family or friends who love and support us in achieving happiness; our devoted pets; the freedom we have to express ourselves and enjoy things which bring us pleasure; the countless opportunities that surround us in this democratic society, to grow and to fulfil our personal potential…

No matter how random the list may seem, it’s extremely important to keep ourselves focused on all that’s good and right in our lives.

This isn’t the same as ‘denying our problems’, for it’s part of the human experience to endure challenges in life which cause us to grow and to adapt. (This is the whole basis of evolution, after all).

Instead, I like to see it this way: within the psyche we have different modes of thinking, different frames of perception that we enter depending on what’s happening in our lives at any particular time.

These can be described metaphorically, as different psychological ‘rooms’ which we can also consciously choose to hang out in.

So, we each have a ‘room’ for rational problem solving, a room for creativity, a room for organising and planning, and so on.

And the more time we spend inside a particular room – exploring all that it holds for us – the more ‘familiar’ we’ll become with the resources, skills and qualities that are associated with our being in that particular state.

And thanks to the fact that our brains are continually evolving and adapting based on how we choose to use them, (known as ‘Neuroplasticity’) – We’ll also be able to access those resources and attributes a little more easily the next time we need to call on them.

This principle holds true for better or worse; think about someone you know who’s down on themselves or slightly depressed, and how easy it becomes for them to project their negativity onto everything that happens, time after time. Think about how hard it can be to reason with someone in that state, in an attempt to ‘snap them out of it’. Without a deeper understanding of what’s really going on, it will tend to be an uphill struggle.

But herein lies the real secret: the same holds true even for our most positive states of mind. Ad in fact, one of the most powerful spaces we can choose to occupy within the human psyche is the ‘gratefulness room‘.

This is because to fix on the things we’re most grateful for in life, no matter how small these may seem, we’re automatically focusing on those things which are ‘working’ for us – the positive results and solutions already present in our experience.

And given that the mind will always seek more of what it’s most focused on – the more time we spend experiencing gratefulness, the more positive results, solutions and experiences we’ll unconsciously create in our lives to be grateful for!

This is extremely powerful stuff. Want to see the proof? As any of my clients will tell you, I’m all about taking action…

So here’s a little action step you can put into place straight away to begin experiencing these results for yourself:

Make it a habit for the next 21 days to write down 5 to 10 things each day that you are grateful for.

As much as possible, write new things each day. A perfect time to do this is first thing in the morning – to create a powerful positive ‘frame’ for your day, or before sleep at night – to prime the unconscious for processing your suggestions whilst you sleep.

No matter how obscure your lists are – the warm smile of a passing stranger, the timely downpour which saved you the job of watering the plants, the wagging tail and excited face of your dog welcoming you home after a stressful day at work… I’m certain you’ll see how easy it is to enter this gratefulness room on a regular basis, and how effortlessly the positive benefits will soon spread out into your wider life experience.

I urge you to commit to this small, regular practice for just 21 days (and longer if you’d like) – then do let me know how you are experiencing the results!

Stay focused… Here’s to your Health, Happiness and Success!