Most people don’t consciously spend time thinking of what they are grateful for and all the blessings in their lives, but gratitude is the gateway to happiness and abundance. It opens a window to positivity and wards off negativity, scarcity, and our fears.

Find a quiet area, close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and think about:

• A moment in your past that you are deeply grateful. Put yourself back in that moment and visualize it. How did you feel? What about that moment made you feel grateful and thankful? Was this a life-changing moment? What impact did it have on you at the time? Do you still feel the impact today? What would you say to the people who played a role in your grateful moment?
• Now do this with two additional moments.

I want you to do this exercise so you can feel gratefulness in your life and the impact it can have. Thinking about being grateful is one thing, but feeling it is much more powerful and empowering.

Gratefulness is one of those often-overlooked practices that we let go by the wayside because we’re always eager for more, and in the midst of our desires, we take a lot of things for granted. We’re always comparing ourselves to others and always seeking more of something, whether it’s money, fame, validation, or acceptance.

We overlook things that are already going great in our lives and focus on what’s not there. Whatever you focus on is what you will have.

There is nothing like a gratitude list to remind yourself of what’s great in your life already, and to build up your arsenal to combat negativity and scarcity. When you focus on being grateful, you focus on abundance.

Gratitude is also the key to happiness. There is an incredible amount of research dedicated to showing how powerful being grateful is and how it can impact your happiness. The Greater Good Science Center, based at UC Berkeley, is a leader in the field. I encourage you to check out their website.

In fact, the more grateful you are for things, the more you will find to be grateful for, instead of focusing on what’s missing.

This process starts with your grateful list.

Start with simple things:

• I am so grateful that I have a roof over my head.
• I’m so grateful that I have enough to eat.
• I am so grateful that I’m healthy.
• I’m so grateful that I have a job.
• I am so grateful that I have a car.

Focus on what is going great in your life, and try not to get caught up on what you don’t have.

Consider, too, what you may take for granted. A lot of people, for instance, don’t recognize what great health they’re in until they experience a health crisis. When they recover, their health means that much more to them. Include these aspects of your life in your gratitude list. This list is going to be different for everybody. Whatever it is for you, embrace that.

Do your gratitude practice out loud when you first wake up. It’s important to do this out loud. The mind-body connection you make when you declare something out loud makes this practice especially more effective. When I started saying my gratitude list out loud, and I could actually hear what I was grateful for, I got more excited about it and felt a powerful sense of positivity.

List new things every day so you can fully focus your attention, rather than just go through the motions with memorized items. List three things—more if you want to, but no fewer than three. The idea is to make this a daily practice and to stick with it.

Share your gratitude:

Think of two people in your life that you are really grateful for, who helped you with a specific challenge or who were there for you during a difficult time. Now email or write them a card telling them you’re grateful for them, then tell them, specifically, why. You may tell your friends and family you love them often— that’s great. Sharing with them how they’ve impacted your life, exactly what they did to support, motivate, guide, or help you, is even more powerful. It’s one thing to tell someone you love them; it’s another thing to tell them specifically why you love them and what they did for you that you truly appreciate. Try it, and you will see some amazing results!

Your Gratitude Jar:
Here is another way you can create more gratefulness in your life. Buy a jar, and every day write down what you are grateful for on one or two small slips of paper. Put them in the jar and watch the stack grow over time. In December, take out the pieces of paper and read all the amazing things you have been grateful for during the year. Start the process over every January 1st.

Start being more grateful in your life and you’ll see many new possibilities open up. You’ll start feeling more energetic and excited. You’ll start being more successful in every area of your life.