It's that time of year again to be thankful.

So, when was the last time you took a moment to acknowledge something you’re thankful for?

There’s no wrong answer and this isn’t to guilt trip you.

It’s just that I find the world can be very Problem Focused.

The tendency to look for problems and to always feel discontent is deeply ingrained in most of us.

It is great to know when you don’t like something in order to make a different choice and to strive for more.

But, taking a few minutes each day to think about or write out just 5 things you appreciate about your life at this moment will help you actualize your desires even faster!

To be clear, you are NOT forcing yourself to be happy and grateful for things you don’t like.

That is like an old way of guilt tripping ourselves to settle for less than we truly want.

Nope, not doing that crap!

Instead, take a moment and drop all your defenses and really see how many amazing things you have...

It’s easy to be grateful when things are going well. But what if it's all good? What if every experience you have means whatever you say it means?

That even in times of stress and loss you can choose how you view all of it. You have the power to decide at any moment how you think and feel about things that happened even years ago. 

There was a time when I was so filled with anxiety that I was unable to go to school. I was one of the first people in the US to be home-schooled and I continued to be taught at home until I graduated.

I was unable to work, and could barely go out in public.

There was a 3 year period that I only left my home a handful of times, and those times were only to go see a doctor to find out "what was wrong with me."

For years I struggled with social anxiety, months on end of full blown panic attacks and I really couldn't function in life at all. I depended almost entirely on family to help me and was forced to be on disability for many years.