I wanted to wish all of my newsletter subscribers a very happy holiday season. This has been a year of ups and downs for us. We had to say goodbye to our dog Dexter in August, and last Thursday, we welcomed a new puppy into our home. His name is Henley, and he’s a nine-week-old Yorkie Poo. I’m already in love with him after only a few days. It’s such a joy to watch him explore new things and experience every day as a new adventure. I’m amazed by what he’s learned in just a few short days. He already knows how to use the ramp to get up and down from the couch, and he can climb all the way up the carpeted stairs from the basement. I did not train him to do this. He did it all on his own. I’d actually rather he not know how to do it.

We can learn so much from dogs. They give us the opportunity to experience the power of love, presence, and gratitude with each new day. Love is the most powerful emotion there is. It raises our vibration, puts us in a positive emotional state, and undoes the harmful effects of the negative feelings that we experience. Being present is the key to happiness and stress reduction. Dogs don’t think about tomorrow or yesterday. They only live in the present moment. Gratitude is the secret to improving health and increasing happiness. As Tony Robbins mentioned in his morning ritual video Gratitude is the Antidote, it’s impossible to feel grateful and angry/fearful/stressed at the same time. Happiness is the result of practicing gratitude, and not the other way around.

Here are 5 ways to practice gratitude: 

1. Start and end each day by thinking about all the things you are grateful to have in your life – everything from big wins to the simple things we take for granted like the ability to use our 5 senses. There is no greater recipe for happiness and success than expressing gratitude.
2. Write down 5 news things you are grateful for every day in a journal.
3. Review and reflect on what you have written in your gratitude journal and share it with others.
4. Tell someone who made a positive impact on you why you are grateful for him/her. Watch this video on an Experiment in Gratitude.
5. Write thank you notes to tell people why you are grateful to have them in your life.

I wish you abundant joy and happiness this holiday season and throughout the new year. May 2023 bring hope, health, healing, peace and prosperity to all.

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” – Tony Robbins

“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” – Brene Brown

“For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson