I was watering the plants in the balcony. Aaliyah was writing something in a journal. For the past three days, she has been doing this in the morning. I didn’t know what it was.

“Aaliyah! What is it that you are writing every morning right after waking up? I also notice that smile on your face!” I expressed. “It’s a new practice that I have started. Come here! I’ll show you,” she replied.

I went and sat beside her. ‘GRATITUDE JOURNAL’ it read in large alphabets! All the pages so far had been filled with things that she was thankful for.

“We complain so often about the things that we lack. We start overlooking the things that we are blessed with. We end up feeling negative. I don’t want that to happen. Hence, I have planned that every day in the morning I will note down three things that I have gratitude for,” she said.

Mother’s Day is here! This reminded me of my mom who used to emphasize the importance of being thankful for what we have. “Count your blessings, Bob! Someone somewhere must be praying for what you already have. Appreciate everything that is there!” She would always tell me.

“That’s great! You will no longer dwell on what is missing! You will acknowledge and relish all the goodness in life. You will feel satisfied and happy,” I replied.

“That’s exactly what is happening. Trust me, I feel a lot more positive and happy after doing this. In fact, it is helping me to work harder for the things that I desire without any complains,” she further added.

“Even I will start doing it! I’ll wish mom and tell her about this on Mother’s Day. She would be so happy to know it!” I expressed.

“That’s amazing! But why don’t you start it today?” she asked. She was right! Why wait to start a good practice?

“Okay! Then let me get a pen and a journal. I’ll start from today itself!” I replied. I expressed my gratitude in the journal that day for the first time. It felt good! Now both Aaliyah and I are doing it every day.

Are you counting your blessings? Doing this might not ensure everything to fall into place magically but it will make you a lot more hopeful and optimistic. This, in turn, will help you to deal with adversities, build strong relationships and improve your health. Relishing the little good things in life will give you an unfathomable inner joy! You will be happy and spread happiness.

Do it and see! Let me know how you feel after doing this!