Take a look above at the name and description of this regular column – it is called “Bright Spots – A Place to Find Information and Inspiration for Your Life”. The concept of this column is to provide positive, life-affirming reflections for the reader that will literally “brighten” your day and your life. In light of the recent economic realities, it has become increasingly apparent that as a country, as a society, as a community we are all in need of as many “bright spots” that we can get. So from now on this column will highlight some real “bright spots” from everyday life right here. This will be the place to come to read about all of the good stuff, the success stories that are happening right here all around us. Because there is good stuff happening – it just doesn’t make the news like the bad news does.

Just today three “bright spots” illuminated my day. I learned about an elderly person’s medical bill that was forgiven; a friend who got a great job after many months of searching and a client who was asked for an interview for a dream job.

For a moment I found it hard to believe that we were in any kind of a recession or unemployment crisis. The positive energy that I received from hearing about these “bright spots” created a momentum of their own and made my workday more productive and enjoyable.

Bright spots are always there, but often they are overshadowed by fear and anxiety so they are harder to find. For some reason it seems we can always identify what is “not working” or what is “not there” easier than we notice what “is working” and what “is there”. This rings true especially in our thoughts and feelings about ourselves. We tend to notice our own faults or our weaknesses more readily than strengths. Much of the time when we look at a situation, a problem or at our own lives, we can readily identify what “isn’t there”- what is missing instead of what “is there”. We completely miss the “bright spot”.

Imagine that it is nighttime and you are outside looking at the dark sky. At first, as you look around all you may notice is how vast the darkness seems – it is hard to see anything because it is dark. But as your eyes move up toward the sky, something catches your eye – a tiny spot, a flicker of light – it is a star shining so brightly through the darkness that you can see it from thousands of miles away – it is a “bright spot”. As your attention focus on that one star, suddenly you become aware of other points of light, shining stars, “bright spots” covering the sky.

This week, practice noticing the “bright spots”. Be a detective on a mission of finding or collecting as many “bright spots” as you can. Once you start noticing them they will pop up everywhere and soon you will be surrounded by positivity and light.

Cultivating an “Attitude of Gratitude”

Part I

It is almost Thanksgiving although you would never know that if you visited your local drug store or department store lately. Over the past several years, our consumer culture has created the need for stores to take us right from Halloween to Christmas appearing to literally skip the month of November taking Thanksgiving with it!

However, a lot of folks seem to agree that when it gets down to it Thanksgiving is really their favorite holiday.

There are no costumes to make, candy or gifts to buy. What is there is the opportunity to gather with family and friends, enjoy a meal together and take a moment to give thanks. Thanksgiving offers a welcome respite, a resting place before the swirl of activity and expectations of Christmas take over.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could keep the spirit of Thanksgiving and the feeling of family and thankfulness with us all year. What if we considered every day an opportunity to acknowledge and give thanks for all that we have in our lives. What if we developed an “attitude of gratitude” that we practiced every day rather than just that one special day of the year.

Having an “attitude of gratitude” is an effective way to create a more powerful life. Teacher and author, Louise Hays tells us “gratitude is not the result of things that happen to us, it is an attitude we celebrate by practice. The more we are thankful for, the more we will find to be thankful for”. Gratitude increases our abundance and can move our thoughts from obsession to peacefulness, from stuck-ness to creativity, from fear to love. Gratitude provides a beautiful way to take responsibility in all aspects of our lives. Expressing gratitude, even for situations or people that we don’t necessarily believe are deserving, gives us a way to respond to circumstances in our lives. Gratitude gives us power.

Cultivating an “attitude of gratitude” is a self-perpetuating enterprise. The more grateful you feel the happier you get – which generates even more gratitude. But just like learning to speak a foreign language or learning a new skill, developing an “attitude of gratitude’ requires mental discipline and dedicated practice. It requires consistent and heartfelt effort.

What better time to commit to gratitude as a way of life than this year’s Thanksgiving celebration. Make this year even more special by deciding to keep the gratefulness shared around the dinner table going throughout the upcoming year.

To help you get your new “attitude of gratitude” off to a great start, here’s an eco-friendly idea to try for your Thanksgiving meal.

A favorite magazine suggest the following:

Instead of going around the table, telling everyone

what you’re thankful for, try a more personalized

approach with recycled “grateful” place cards. For

each guest, think about something that has made a

difference in your life (mom’s ability to make you see

the silver lining or a big sister who’s also a best friend).

Jot it down on a piece of old cardboard, the inside

of a cereal box, or any other firm writing surface you

can salvage. Then cut a slit in an old wine cork and

slide the card in. Spread your love and be surprised

by how something so simple can impart so much

meaning.*

Remember an “attitude of gratitude” takes commitment and practice. Making gratitude a way of life is a wonderful intention to create for yourself and your family during the Thanksgiving season. Join “Bright Spots” next time for inspiration and ideas of how to keep the power of gratitude present and working in your life every day.

* body+soul Magazine November 2008