In 2015, I began a gratitude practice. It was an intentional act to train and rewire my brain to begin scanning the world for what was actually going well in my life versus focusing on everything that wasn’t going so well. This daily practice encouraged me to find the blessings tucked within each day. I wrote down at least three things that I was thankful for, folded them up, and kept them in a jar near my bed. On New Year’s Eve, I opened all of them with delight. Adventures, conversations, meals, opportunities that expanded my comfort zone, and compliments that I would had entirely forgotten about were all recorded and documented. When I reread through them, I experienced all those positive emotions again.

I’ve continued this tradition throughout the years and it has inherently changed the way I see my life and the world around me. The practice of gratitude raises our emotional states and allows us to reframe even the most difficult experiences with grace and recognize the silver linings in challenging situations.

At the end of the year when I go through my gratitude jar, I often send pictures to my friends so they too can remember the adventures and fun experiences we shared. The inside jokes. The delicious meals. The breathtaking views in nature.

I store these stacks of gratitude slips in a keepsake memory box as time capsules for the year.

Paying attention to our world, and more importantly, to the beauty in our lives, shifts our entire perspective. We become what we focus on, so turning our focus on that which is good and beautiful is one of the greatest gift we can give ourselves.